


Eiffel In Love

by LycorisLife



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Blow Jobs, British References, Drinking, Drunkenness, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff, I won't lie it's basically, M/M, Paris (City), Porn with Feelings, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Sightseeing, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Teasing, Tourism, although they're actually amazing, mentions of cheating, mentions of past relationships - Freeform, overuse of endearments and smiling, safe sex, there's like two seconds of angst as well I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 21:56:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 53,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7123930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LycorisLife/pseuds/LycorisLife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Louis and Harry had was Paris and ten days to fall for each other. But, of course, they never really needed that long.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Five days to fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [klancer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/klancer/gifts).



> Written for the [LarryFanfiction Summer Exchange](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/LarryFanfictionSummerExchange/works) for this prompt: Louis' fiancé breaks off the marriage and Louis still goes on his honeymoon to Paris, all by himself. There he has the time of his life.  
> I hope you enjoy it! x

>   **Day One**

Louis watched the grey clouds though the thick glass of the plane windows and let his mind drift along with them. Despite everything that he was feeling following his departure from England, and more specifically the hour long ‘honest chat’ his mother had subjected him to, Louis still found it within himself to appreciate the natural beauty of the setting sun from his vantage point amongst the clouds.

He had found there was an odd peace to be found with allowing your mind to stay blank as he watched the passing clouds. Staying detached was better than allowing the anger to seep back in, or the resentment or insecurities. No matter what he certainly refused to cry for that bastard, not after what he had done to him. He felt as if crying another tear would be a cruel injustice. That man deserved no more of his tears and no more of his life, not after what he had endured for the past five months of his life. Turns out that all the intricacies that go along with cancelling a wedding can be just a tad bit stressful for one man to deal with.

It was then and there while staring out at the blissfully peaceful white clouds that Louis promised himself that the next week and a half of his life would be the best that he could make it. He nodded to himself and took a deep breath, hoping that the passengers next to him weren’t paying too much attention. He cleared his mind, plastered a smile on his face and only thought one thing.

‘Bring it on, Paris’

~*~

Louis found himself playing with the ends of his sleeves nervously after he had situated himself comfortably in the back of the taxi cab having overcome the necessary awkward broken-French exchange between himself and the driver in order to direct him towards his hotel.

His day certainly wasn’t improving itself as he eventually reached the hotel and after having paid his fare he was faced with checking in.

As soon as he had said the reservation was under, “Tomlinson, please,” he found himself having to grit his teeth and smile falsely at the torrent of congratulations that was being thrown his way.

Of course when the receptionist turned to him with a put on smile and told him, “we hope you and your husband enjoy your stay, please let us know if there is anything that we can help you with,” he had to bite his tongue against saying that she could help by not mentioning his ‘husband’ who was very clearly not with him.

By the time that he actually made it up to the expensive Honeymoon Suite all Louis could handle was sparing a cursory glance around before he was dumping his bags and heading out into the night.

Although Louis had a few pre-planned trips and places to go while in Paris the majority of his time was free from obligation which is exactly why he found himself wondering aimlessly through the city. He told himself he was just trying to familiarise himself with the ‘feeling’ of Paris only because he didn’t want to face the sad truth that he wasn’t actually sure what to do with his time.

He had planned to come to Paris and have an adventure he would never forget, to make the best of a god-awful shitty situation and actually enjoy his time in the city. And that was still his plan he reminded himself, there was just something about seeing a rose petal laden room with his one sad suitcase in it that somewhat dampened his mood.

He kept his wandering close to his hotel as he decided that he didn’t actually fancy getting hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar city on his first night out. Eventually he found himself wandering back to the hotel having nowhere else to go.

Not wanting to face the abject horror of his room again quite yet he made his way over to the bar where only one other person was sitting there.

The man at the bar was wearing tight fitted white jeans from what Louis could tell and his hair came down past his shoulders in loose waves. Louis took the seat next to him as he flagged down the barman and placed his order.

“Oh, you’re English too.”

Louis turned to face the long-haired man that was smiling at him. He was struck by the beauty of this stranger, by how his eyes seemed kind and light and it only seemed natural that his lips were smiling. Louis wasn’t sure what it was about him that gave this stranger the impression that he had come down to chat but he wasn’t about to turn him away. “Are you on holiday or do you live here?” the man asked as Louis accepted his drink from the bartender.

“Holiday,” Louis replied, for some reason finding himself not annoyed at this random stranger’s curiosity.

“Same,” he smiled at him, causing a dimple to form in his cheeks. Louis’ eyes focused in on it and he couldn’t help but think that it made the man look infinitely more boyish and charming. “I’m Harry, by the way,” he told him in his unusually low voice.

“Louis,” he returned, lifting his drink up slightly in greeting.

“Nice to meet you,” Harry replied. “Are you staying here?”

“Uh,” Louis hesitated slightly, “yeah I am. You?”

“Nah,” Harry replied easily with a shrug, “just using the bar,” he grinned.

“Good a reason as any.” Louis smiled too, feeling himself relax slightly, whether that was from Harry’s presence or the effect of the rather strong drink he had ordered he wasn’t sure.

Harry hummed in agreement. “It is a good bar.”

“I wouldn’t really know,” Louis admitted, “it’s my first night here.”

“Ah,” Harry nodded, “well admittedly it’s mine too.” At that Louis raised his eyebrow slightly with an amused expression on his face which only caused Harry to laugh happily. “Ok, but from what I can tell so far, it’s a good bar.” He paused slightly, “good company.”

Louis felt his smile slip a little, “not so sure about that, mate. I’m not going to be that much fun.”

Harry frowned. “Why do you say that?”

Louis shrugged and threw caution to the wind. “A sad guy drinking his troubles away in Paris doesn’t sound like much of a conversationalist.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Harry cajoled him lightly, “I’m sure you’re going to be wonderful company.”

Louis regarded him with a thinly raised eyebrow.

“You’re quite the optimist aren’t you?”

“I guess,” Harry conceded, “lots to be positive about though.”

Lois snorted indelicately into his drink, downing what was left of the burning liquid before gesturing the bartender over again or a refill.

Harry pouted at him, although it was lost on Louis’ unseeing eyes, before he began to argue his case.

“Well I’ve managed to end up in a bar in Paris beside you so that’s definitely one thing to be thankful for.”

“Wouldn’t hold your hopes up,” Louis mumbled.

Somewhere inside of him Louis acknowledged the fact that the alcohol he was consuming was loosening his usual tightly controlled emotions and he was vaguely aware of what a party-pooper he was being. He wondered why Harry was even bothering to stick around when all he was doing was waxing lyrical about the dismal state of his life. It was then that Louis realised two things. The first was that he had promised himself that he was going to enjoy Paris, and damn it he was going to, and to do that he needed to pull himself up and out of his self-imposed pity party and take in what was going on around him. The second thing that became apparent to him was that what was going on around him involved an overly-kind, sweet boy with long hair that curled loosely at its ends and earnest green eyes that Louis felt he call fall into. Or maybe that was the liquor talking. Louis had to shake himself out of his mood if he had any chance of keeping the young man’s attention, something that most definitely was in his interests.

He found himself to be clearly his throat and smiling sheepishly at the man next to him.

“Sorry for being a Debbie-downer over here,” Louis laughed humourlessly to himself, “it’s just been a hell of a few months.”

Louis noticed that Harry’s forehead had furrowed cutely towards the end of his sentence, apparently upset by the thought of Louis having a hard time.

“I’m sorry about that, Lou.”

The nickname caused a hint of a blush to rise on Louis’ cheeks, something that he tried furiously to ignore. He reasoned with himself that the shortened name was just the result of the alcohol Harry had consumed and most definitely was not hedging on the way towards endearments.

Unaware of Louis’ inner monologue Harry had reached forward to lay his hand ever so lightly on Louis’ forearm, an offer of respectful understanding. Louis felt as if the very nerves in his arms were zinging to life, all his focus suddenly on the only place where Harry was touching him.

“You can tell me, if you want?” Harry offered, his voice so low and soft that Louis could tell even through his inebriated haze that the invitation was wholly genuine and not meant to be invasive. And it was for these reasons that Louis found himself staring into Harry’s eyes and whispering his secrets.

“I was engaged,” he said quietly, the twang in his heart causing his breath to stutter slightly. “I was meant to get married,” he broke the eye contact with Harry to gulp at his drink hoping to find some liquid courage. He turned again to face Harry who was listening patiently with sadness and understanding screaming from every corner of his face. “But then five months ago,” Louis felt his body tense and his face grimace, “he broke off the engagement.”

When he felt that Louis had reached a sort of stagnation Harry prompted him quietly.

“Why?”

“I mean,” Louis hesitated briefly before throwing caution to the win and hoping that his trust in the green-eyed man was not misplaced. “He cheated on me,” he held his drink up in a careless gesture, “had been for a year apparently.”

“That fucker!” Harry exclaimed quietly and ardently, the fine pink liquid of his drink spilling over the edges of his glass as he gestured a little too emphatically.

A few eyes were cast in their direction but Louis couldn’t find it within himself to care, not when he had found himself in the unexpected position of being too busy chuckling good naturedly at the antics of the man in front of him.

“What?” Harry blinked innocently at him even as a smile was stretched on his own face.

“Nothing,” Louis giggled, alcohol loosening his defences, “you’re just cute when you’re angry is all.”

At that Harry’s face slipped into a full on pout which of course only caused Louis to laugh harder. “That just proves my point, mate.”

Harry stuck his tongue out at Louis causing both of them to giggle profusely. It was only then that something occurred to Harry.

“Wait, aren’t you too young to be getting married?”

“I’m not,” Louis told him a little bluntly.

“You know what I mean,” Harry continued on undeterred, “I mean you can’t have been with him that long? You’re only, what, like twenty –“

Louis cut him off with a stern look, “I’d think carefully before finishing that sentence, Harry.”

Instead of letting the subject drop Harry only squinted his eyes in concentration and tried his hardest to assess the man in front of him “Twenty three?” he ventured, a tad nervously.

Louis only narrowed his eyes slightly before smiling again, “twenty two actually, but I’ll take that.”

“Twenty two!” Harry exclaimed in satisfaction. “Exactly! See I’m just a year younger and I couldn’t imagine getting hitched next year but, shit, you were maybe even engaged at my age,” Harry let out a huff of air. “What’s the story behind that then?”

“Well,” Louis began with a frown on his face and proceeded to walk through the last four years of his life in a rush. “We met when we were just sixteen in school. Been together ever since. He popped the question. I couldn’t think of a reason to say no. Apparently he only did it to try and assuage his guilt or some shit like that. Yadda yadda time passes, things happen, I listen to _Lemonade_ so much I know all the words and no don’t ask me to demonstrate, I pick myself up and,” he turned to face Harry with a horrifically fake smile, “now here I am.”

Harry grimaced. “Don’t do that.”

“What?” Louis asked in confusion.

“I don’t know,” Harry’s face was still highly unimpressed as he waved his hand around in front of Louis’ face. “That,” he emphasised, “whatever that is on your face. Please don’t do that.”

“What? Smile?” Louis asked incredulously.

“That was not you smiling,” Harry told him plainly before shaking his hair out. “So, tell me, why did you think getting married was a good idea?”

Louis let out a long sigh and shrugged nonchalantly.

 “I don’t know. I thought we were in love.” He raised his eyebrows at Harry, “are you telling me you wouldn’t want to get married as soon as possible if you had thought you’d found your soulmate?”

“In a heartbeat” Harry conceded his face more serious than it had been all evening. “But,” Harry raised his eyebrow slightly and squished his mouth to one side, “this man turned out to not be your soulmate.”

“Most definitely not,” Louis emphasised, an edge of steel entering his voice.

“Well,” Harry offered, “at least you didn’t marry him then.”

At that stark comment from Harry Louis found himself laughing at the ridiculousness of his situation. The very reason for his unhappiness was also the source of much relief and gratefulness in his life. Without having to tell him, Harry seemed to get it too and was laughing along with him.

After their laughter had subsided and a silence had settled over them again Louis found himself smiling emptily at his now empty glass.

“This was meant to be my honeymoon, you know?”

“Shit,” Harry whispered, face etched in consolation.

“Shit,” Louis agreed. “Still have the honeymoon suite and everything, not sure if I can stomach sleeping there though.”

Apparently having a lack of filter due to alcohol was a trait that Louis shared with Harry as the next words out of his mouth were, “why’s that? Because you’ll be alone?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Louis admitted before he found himself chuckling into his empty glass. “And because it’s ugly as all fuck in there.”

Harry let out a burst of laughter as he turned his body to fully face Louis.

“How’s that?”

“It’s all fucking gaudy red and gold everywhere,” Louis complains although he was smiling all the while.

“Doesn’t sound too bad to me,” Harry told him well-meaningly.

Louis regarded him with a raised eyebrow and turned to face him as well, leaning closer as he did so.

“No, Harry, you don’t understand,” he leaned even further into Harry’s space in order to prove his point, “it’s really, really over the top ghastly kind of bad.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Harry argues, thinking of how a hotel would not allow their honeymoon suite to be designed as anything less than perfect.

“It really is that bad,” Louis reassured him.

“Prove it,” Harry challenged, not really considering the repercussions of his words.

“Alright,” Louis replied easily enough, finally putting some distance between them so as to get off of his seat.

“What?” Harry questioned, moving to follow Louis as he began to slowly make his way away from the bar

“I’m going to show you my obnoxious hotel room, Harry.”

Harry paused and then smiled. “Alright then.”

~*~

Louis unlocked the room and let Harry enter first before he followed.

“Wow,” Harry whispered into the quiet air, “it really is quite nauseating innit?”

“Yep,” Louis popped the ‘p’ as he replied with a slight smile, closing the door behind him.

Harry had moved to stand in the centre of the lounge and had spread his arms out extravagantly to gesture around him.

“How audacious,” he announced clearly in his best faux-posh voice.

Louis found himself laughing again as he held his hand over his heart and proclaimed loudly that, “my, dear Harold, how damning of you!”

Harry had begun giggling hysterically as the show of stupidity that they were performing together and soon found himself to become so carried away that his body had managed to steer itself sideways and had him flopping onto the nearest sofa. Louis noticed that Harry couldn’t even find it within himself to complain at his lack of balance as he was preoccupied with burying his face into the plush fabric and sniffing loudly. Louis hid his own giggles behind the palm of his hand.

”Lou!” Harry emerged with wide, sparkling eyes and the most amazed grin on his face. “These cushions smell _amazing_!”

With that Louis found himself to be lurching forward and face planting it into the same pillow as Harry, only narrowly avoiding colliding their heads together.

He inhaled obnoxiously at the fabric only to turn his head to the side and grin manically at Harry.

“Fucking hell that’s a nice smelling cushion,” Louis breathed, his own voice sounding full of wonder.

Harry nodded seriously in return before another grin was splitting his face and he was burying his bubbles of laughter into the fabric beneath him.

They both lay there giggling drunkenly before they settled down again.

“Y’know after the interrogation you gave me in the bar I just realised that I don’t know all that much about you,” Louis mumbled light-heartedly into the fabric.

Somehow Harry caught what he was saying as he replied a tad self-consciously, “there’s honestly not much to know.”

Louis turned to face him and wiggled his eyebrows. “Try me.” Harry let a small giggle escape his lips again and hid his face in the cushion as his cheeks reddened even more. Louis lightly pushed at his shoulder and complained loudly in his ear, “c’mon, you owe me after I spilled my heart out to you.”

Harry pursed his lips behind is smile, “I guess you’re right.” His forehead scrunched, “Uh, so, I guess I’m twenty one.”

“Cool,” Louis nodded, “what’s life like for you back home?”

“Not too interesting yet,” Harry laughed as he ran his hand through his hair, “fresh out of uni.”

“Oh yeah?” Louis asked, his eyes lighting up, “what degree did ya get?”

“Primary Teaching BA with QTS.”

“Um,” Louis paused dumbly, “what’s that?”

“Qualified Teacher Status,” Harry explained with a soft smile on his face.

“Oh, man, so you’re good to go? Become a teacher?”

Harry laughed, “yep. I’ve got a placement as a teaching assistant in this school I’ve done all my work experience in back in England. I start in September.”

“Holy shit Harry that’s awesome!”

“Yeah,” he smiled a little self-consciously, “Yeah it is. I’m really excited.”

“Wow. A job straight out of uni. That’s ridiculously impressive, mate,” Louis told him, clearly impressed.

“It’s only because I’ve been helping out there for free for three years,” Harry tried to downplay it with a shrug, “they probably felt duty bound to hire me.”

“Hey,” Louis swatted at him gently, “don’t put yourself down like that, I’m sure you worked really hard to get where you are.”

Harry grinned and bit his lip. “Thanks,” he said softly with his wide and honest eyes. Louis may or may not have been staring into them. “What about you then? Did you go to uni?”

“Nope,” Louis told him, “just started working straight out of school. Wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do to be honest.” Louis shrugged, “but then I started helping my mum out more with her charity work, she’s always been a big believer in giving back and all,” he explained as best he could, taking his time picking his words through the alcoholic fog of his mind, “and now I work with a few charities back home, helping them fundraise and sort out cooperate partnerships and the like.” He smiled at Harry, “I mean, obviously it doesn’t pay much but it’s also kinda the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“That’s amazing, Louis,” Harry told him earnestly.

“Thanks,” he replied, blushing slightly. “So,” Louis changed the subject, wanting to learn more about Harry, “why’d you choose Paris to holiday in?”

“Oh, just trying to do some travelling before I start working, I guess. I never had a gap year so I’m just doing it now.”

 “You going anywhere else then? Travelling Europe?”

“Nah, I don’t have enough money for that. Just two weeks then I’m heading on back to England,” Harry explained, “could just about scrape enough for the Eurostar here and back and a shitty hotel,” he said easily.

Louis nodded, understanding exactly where Harry was coming from. God know that if it wasn’t for how everything he had organised was already booked and pre-paid for he wouldn’t even be able to afford a weekend living it up as he intended to for the next week.

 “Yeah, I know what you mean. Technically my ex paid for all of this,” he gestured around them at the ornate suite.

“Oh really?” Harry raised his eyebrows.

Louis hummed in acknowledgment. “I mean he might have been the biggest pillock on earth, but at least he splashed out for this.”

“And now we get to reap the benefits,” Harry sing-songed from where he was still sprawled across the luscious couch.

Louis raised his eyebrows at Harry’s words. “We?” he questioned

“Yes, we,” Harry dragged the word out for a full five seconds before he burst out into uncontrollable giggles.

“You’re off your head, mate,” Louis laughed again.

“And you’re on your honeymoon.”

Louis paused and Harry bit his lip.

“Sorry,” he apologised, “that was probably insensitive.”

“All the same it’s true, innit.”

“Doesn’t mean I should have said it.”

“It’s alright,” Louis forgave him easily before he was sitting up again, feeling the room swim a little bit around the edges. Harry, too, sat up but with less success as he simply slid of the sofa and landed with a harrumph on the floor. Louis hid his smile behind his hand as Harry sat there pouting. Given both of their drunken states before Louis really knew what he was doing he was speaking again.

“You can sleep here tonight, if you want? Just stay here on the sofa.”

Harry’s eyes lit up, “really? You’ll let me stay in your fancy pants suite?”

Louis laughed. “yeah, sure. Rather that than you getting hurt trying to make your way back to where you’re staying.”

“Ok, yeah. Thank you,” Harry smiled at him as he tried to get off of the floor but only made it to kneeling before he was teetering over again. Louis lifted him under the arms and hoisted him up as best as he could.

“C’mon, Haz, I think we’d best get to bed.”

Louis deposited him on the sofa again and was met with Harry’s goofy smile as he settled down against the soft material.

“Thank, Lou,” he said again, almost instantly letting his eyes drop shut and smiling into the cushion pillowed underneath his head.

“No problem,” Louis smiled back at him and somewhere in his drink addled mind he decided it was a good idea to gently push the hair out of Harry’s face. The man in question only smiled more fully without opening his eyes as Louis took his hands away and decided to go in search of a blanket for him. After searching everywhere he could think of any coming up empty handed he returned to the open sitting room area to see Harry completely passed out without a care in the world. He figured that he’d survive one night without a cover and with that he headed to his own room.

After downing a glass of water, splashing some on his face and a quick swirl of mouthwash he pushed the ridiculous petals off of his bed and crawling under the duvet. Surrounded by the soft clean sheets and the undeniable heaven that was the beds mattress it didn’t take long until he was falling fast asleep.

 

> ** Day Two **

The sunlight was pushing through the thin fabric of his curtains, letting Louis know just how late he had slept in already. He took stock of his body and was pleasantly surprised that he was only suffering from a light and very bearable throb in the back of his head from the previous night’s drinking. His mind in general seemed to be well and functioning, at least enough for him to remember the entirety of the night before.

Louis was certain it would be hard to forget the fact that he had invited a random stranger to stay on the sofa in his suite last night regardless of how much he drank. That being said after he had showered and changed and tiptoeing through the suite he was still surprised to see that Harry was actually still there, sitting in the small kitchenette compartment of the suite at the two seater table.

He looked up as soon as Louis entered.

“Um,” Harry waved sheepishly before casting his eyes to his hand and lowering it in embarrassment. “Good morning?” he offered hesitantly.

“Good morning,” Louis replied, his own voice steeped in uncertainty and caution.

“I made breakfast?” Harry ventured, gesturing behind him to where he had apparently been making something.

“Oh,” Louis muttered dumbfoundedly. He cast his eyes from the kitchen back to the man before him who had moved to twist his hands together anxiously on top of the table. “Um, thank you,” Louis found himself saying if only to get the agitation to melt off of Harry’s carefully scrunched up face.

“You’re welcome,” Harry replied, taking that as his cue to get up and make his way over to the small hob installed into the kitchen space and poke around at whatever he was cooking up there.

He turned around to see Louis still standing in the same position and raised one eyebrow. Louis didn’t need any more prompting to shuffle his feet into the kitchen attachment and head for the table.

“How do you feel?” Harry’s voice came as he continued to poke around at the pan that was cooking in front of him.

“Um, bit on the rough side but could be a lot worse,” Louis admitted as he pulled one of the chairs at the breakfast table away with a squeak against the floor. “And yourself?” he asked as he settled down, reaching for the glass of water that had been placed on the table for him.

“I’m good, thank you,” Harry told him, spinning from where he stood to face Louis with a pan of scrambled eggs in his hand. “I don’t really get hangovers,” he told him with a smile before turning back to slide the contents of the pan onto two pristine white plates.

“Oh,” Louis chuckled, “you’re one of those annoying people.”

Harry laughed as well as he came over to the table carrying two plates of scrambled eggs on toast. “Yeah, I’m one of those.”

“Lucky you,” Louis told him and smiled as his plate was placed in front of him.

Harry moved to take his seat opposite him and got settled down.

“Is this alright? I didn’t really know what you would want.”

“No, no this is fine,” Louis smiled at him kindly, “thank you for this.”

“No problem,” Harry smiled back at him, a light blush in his cheeks. “Bon appétit,” he said happily before picking up his utensils and getting to work on his breakfast.

Louis found himself laughing lightly before he mimicked Harry’s actions.

Louis found himself wanting to fill the silence as he took in the domesticity of their situation. “You know, I think I forgot that we were in Paris.”

Harry smiled at him around his fork, “how frog-etful of you.”

“Did you just,” Louis paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Was that meant to be a pun?” he asked incredulously.

Harry grinned at him in return.

“Maybe,” he stretched out the word making it play teasingly on his lips.

Louis couldn’t help himself when he found himself laughing and shaking his head in gentle exasperation.

“That was fucking terrible,” he told Harry honestly but with no sting behind his words.

“It was amazing and you know it,” Harry beamed.

Louis couldn’t help but laugh, “it was playing on stereotypes and more than a little bad, but,” he shrugged, “I’ve heard worse.”

“Damn,” Harry muttered after whistling lowly, “what high praise.”

Louis shook his head and tried to keep his smile to himself.

"So, do you have any grand plans for the day?” Harry asked.

“Not really, thought I’d maybe do the tourist basics and go to the Eiffel Tower.”

“Nice,” Harry commented, “that’s definitely something on my to do list too.”

Louis finished eating and sat back a little in his seat. “So, what about you? Any plans?”

“Not really,” Harry shrugged, “go back to my hotel and change my clothes for starters.”

Louis nodded, “yeah, that’s understandable. Sorry I didn’t offer you anything to change into last night.”

Harry brushed him off as he stood up and collected the dishes, “no, please, don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have been able to get changed anyway.”

Louis laughed at that, hiding his face in his hands a little, “yeah, we were pretty drunk weren’t we?”

“Smashed,” Harry agreed on a laugh. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again, something that Louis was beginning to notice was a habit of his. “In all honesty though I feel that if I were more sober I probably would not have agreed to stay the night in a honeymoon suite,” Harry admitted. He shrugged and smiled brightly at Louis, “but here we are.”

“Here we are,” Louis agreed. He too got up and walked around to stand by Harry, “Let me walk back with you to your hotel?”

“Oh,” Harry sounded surprised, “you don’t have to do that.”

“No, but I want to,” Louis smiled. “Lemme just get my shoes and we can get going.”

~*~

“No offense, Harry, but you’re kinda staying a shit hole.”

Louis stood by the small single bed in the middle of Harry’s room and he was fairly certain that he could cross the entire width of the space in two large strides.

“Alright alright, Mr. Big Bucks,” Harry teased back, no true offence taken at Louis’ words. “It has character,” he defended.

“It has damp,” Louis pointed out playfully.

“You do realise that this,” Harry gestured around himself to the bland colours of the room, “is how normal twenty somethings live?”

Louis’ mouth opened slightly in protest before he tilted his head to the side and nodded somewhat, “good point.”

A silence fell between them as they both stood in Harry’s room not quite wanting to separate but having no good reason to stay together any longer either.

“So I should-” Louis spoke.

“Thanks again-” Harry spoke.

“Sorry,” they both said together, so in sync that they were both cracking grins and laughing at each other.

Harry was the first to recover himself, “you first.”

“Um,” Louis began, thinking on his feet to slightly modify what he had been about to say before, “I was just saying that I should probably let you get changed and such. Get out of your hair.”

“You’re not in my hair,” Harry reassured him, “trust me, I would know,” he finished with his lips quirked as he tugged loosely on the strands falling past his shoulders. Louis couldn’t help but be endlessly endeared. Harry looked down and scuffed his shoes slightly before frowning and stilling his feet. “Um,” he began in a wary voice, “you don’t have to go yet, if you don’t want to.”

Louis’ eyebrows rose slightly. “Oh, ok, um,” he fumbled for his words, “yeah, ok I guess I don’t have to go yet?” Feeling his cheeks heat he scrambled for an excuse, “y’know, no real plans for today and all.”

“Right,” Harry nodded, “just the Eiffel Tower, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Louis confirmed. He paused. “You could come with me if you want?”

Harry’s eyes widened and a smile spread across his face, “yeah, yeah that’d be cool. If you’re sure.”

“Course,” Louis replied, a smile on his own lips.

“Cool,” Harry repeated. “Uh, I’ll just shower and change and stuff.”

“Oh, right!” Louis backtracked, “yeah sure. I’ll wait for you downstairs?”

Harry’s smile was so beautiful Louis never wanted to see it leave his face.

“Alright, I’ll meet you down there.”

~*~

Walking down the sunny streets of Paris with Harry by his side made Louis feel many things, one of which was underdressed. While he was wearing a classic t-shirt and jeans combo paired with shades that he thought made him look just the right side of casual Harry clearly did not have the same concerns in his patterned loose fitting top and tight skinny black jeans with his sunglasses pushed on top of his head to sweep his hair back so that it framed his face perfectly. Not that Louis was paying particular attention to how good he looked. He just found it interesting how the outfit combo would have perhaps looked ridiculous on many other twenty one year old men but on Harry it looked effortless, fashionable and, somehow, expensive.

Any discomfort he may have felt at walking next to someone so obviously gorgeous was soon forgotten however as for however effortlessly beautiful Harry was he was infinitely more effortlessly charming. As they walked through the streets the conversation flowed naturally between them as they shared smiles and learned more about each other.

“Did you know that most of the locals flee Paris during the Summer?” Louis asked as they took in the tourist heavy streets around them.

Harry, however, surprised him by answering, “I did actually.” Louis tried not to be disappointed that his little bit of trivia had failed to impress Harry, but then Harry was speaking again. “I mean I guess it makes it a bit less authentic for us but I can’t exactly go at many other times in the year.”

 “Oh yeah, how come?”

“School holidays and all that, only time I can really travel,” Harry admitted as

“Oh, yeah I didn’t think of that,” Louis admitted, “must kinda suck if you can only travel when lots of children are around.”

“S’not too bad,” Harry replied, before smirking, “plus I don’t mind small people.” Harry kept his eyes straight ahead but the way that he bit his lip to hide his cheeky grin was all the signal Louis needed to tell him what Harry was alluding to.

“Oi,” he protested, “I’m not small.”

Harry very purposefully angled his head down to raise his eyebrows at Louis.

“I’m five nine,” Louis declared indignantly.

“Sure,” Harry gave him, smirk still on his face.

“Fucker,” Louis muttered quietly before he pinched him in the side in his own form of revenge.

Harry however did not react how Luis expected him to, instead choosing to laugh joyfully at Louis’ actions before trying to hide his smile behind his hand. “Sorry,” he said, the noise muffled somewhat, “couldn’t help it.”

If it were anyone else Louis knew that he would have given them hell for the rest of the day but for some reason with Harry he simply found himself saying, “s’alright, just banter,” before continuing their walking.

“By the way,” Harry questioned, “d’you have tickets?”

“Uh,” Louis frowned. “No?”

“Oh,” Harry’s face fell slightly before he perked up again, “no worries, we can go buy tickets then.”

“Good plan. Please, lead the way,” Louis gestured with his arm out.

“Why thank you,” Harry smiled back at him, “although something tells me we won’t exactly get lost on our way there, but hard to miss and all.”

The sound of Louis’ chuckle followed him as they headed off towards the Tower.

~*~

When they arrived at the Eiffel Tower Louis wished that he could have said that he felt awed by the beautiful monument but truth be told all he could feel as they walked closer was dread creeping into his stomach. Harry seemed hesitant as well but it wasn’t until they were almost at the base of the structure that Louis decided to voice his thoughts.

“Well, shit,” he said simply, staring at the hordes of people neatly snaking their way around the square in lines at the bottom of the tower.

“That,” Harry whistled out, “is one monumental queue.”

Louis shook his head. “It’ll take us hours to get through that.”

Louis surveyed the area and took in the throngs of tourists all baking in the sun which included far too many crying toddlers and their grouchy parents for his liking.

“It’s taller than I imagined,” Harry interrupted Louis’ thoughts. He turned to face the other man and saw him stood beneath the tower with his head stretched back so that his hair was falling to his lower back. Louis tried not to stare at the exposed column of Harry’s neck and how it looked with the sun glistening off his slightly glistening skin.

“Fun fact,” Louis chirped in an attempt to try and regroup himself. “Do you know how many steps there are to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower?”

Harry grinned at him. “Can’t say that I do.”

“Too many,” he quipped causing Harry to laugh. Louis smiled at the reaction he managed to get out of him before he was correcting himself, “I’m just kidding. I think there’s actually, like, just over seven hundred of ‘em.” He shrugged. “And that’s just seven hundred too many.”

“We could take the lift?” Harry suggested.

Louis pointed out to him another line of people going underneath the tower. “That’s the queue for the lifts.”

“Oh.”

Louis looked around at the hundreds of tourists milling around in the hot weather and thought that the last thing he wanted to do was stand in a sweaty queue surrounded by them for hours. He faced Harry again.

“On this very sunny day I think I’m going to have to ask you for a rain check.”

Harry laughed. “I appreciate the irony.” He tilted his head to the side, “maybe we can book our tickets for another day when we get back to the hotel?”

Louis smiled to himself almost shyly at knowing that Harry wanted to spend more time with him.

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed.

“So,” Harry stretched out the word. “What should we do now?”

Louis grinned. “I have an idea.”

He spun on his heels and started to stroll away from the tower, hearing Harry catch up and walk beside him.

“Any clues as to where we’re going?” Harry questioned happily.

“Um,” Louis thought. “It’s the next best thing to the Eiffel Tower? Great view. Pretty sure I read that it’s the highest roof terrace in Paris.”

“Wow,” Harry sounded impressed, “well definitely I’m up of that.”

Louis smiled in satisfaction feeling the hints of a warm blush on his cheeks.

~*~

“This is Europe’s fastest lift,” Louis commented as he and Harry rode up said lift along with a small handful of other tourists.

Harry smiled in interest back at him and Louis tried hard not to focus too much on the quirk of his lips.

“Well that’s an attraction in and of itself,” Harry returned and Louis wasn’t quite sure if his cheerful tone was a joking one or not. It was only when Harry continued to smile and didn’t offer up any dry retorts that Louis realised he was being completely serious. The though brought a similar smile to his own face.

The lift dinged and they stepped out onto the observation deck of Montparnasse Tower, both almost instantly walking towards the edges so that they could take in the view of Paris in all its glory. They had both slid their sunglasses down over their eyes to protect against the harsh glinting light of the sun against the Eiffel Tower which they now had a clear view of.

Louis was raking his eyes over the view when he felt Harry nudge his side. When he turned to look Harry was pointed out over the skyline to him

“Look,” he spoke excitedly, “there’s the Louvre! And Les Invalides.”

Louis’ brows furrowed. “what?” he asked.

“Les Invalides.” Harry repeated.

“Yeah, I thought you said that. Don’t you think it’s a bit rude to point that out?”

“What?” Harry’s nosed scrunched in confusion before a burst of laughter was loudly erupting from him. “Oh my god, no! Louis.” He shook his head, biting his lip against a smile, “Not invalids. Les Invalides.”

“Yeah, all you did was add an accent on there.”

Harry laughed again. “Look, there!” He pointed a complex of buildings in the distance that Louis had never seen before. “I think it’s mostly a collection of museums and such.”

“Oh, cool,” Louis nodded. He then soitted something and pointed it out to Harry, “oh, there’s the Arc de Triomphe.”

“Good spot,” Harry smiled, taking his phone out to take a picture of their surroundings.

“Mmm,” Louis acknowledged, “a triumph.”

Harry lowered his phone in disbelief before he was full out grinning at Louis and although Louis liked to think of himself as a comedian, he didn’t think his poor attempt at a joke was worth the reaction that Harry was giving it. Before he could question him on it though Harry was pocketing his phone and staring back out before them.

 “You know what I’m going to tell my kids one day about when I saw this view?” Harry said quietly, not removing his eyes from the view before him.

Louis himself was a little startled to hear Harry mentioning something as intimate as his future family with such certainty given the fact that he was only twenty one and they had known each other only a day.

“Oh, um no. What’ll you tell them?”

“That Eiffel in love with it.”

Louis could only pretend that he didn’t find that funny.

~*~

Harry led him into a small restaurant for their late lunch together, something that they had fallen into without even discussing it, claiming that he was looking for ‘something specific’. Despite only knowing him a day Louis already knew to simply trust Harry and let him lead the way. He was only coming to regret that decision slightly when their menus arrived and Harry’s eyes lit up.

“Snails!” he exclaimed happily pointing to the small text on the menus declaring that ‘escargots’ were an available option.

“Oh, yay,” Louis replied humourlessly with concern in his eyes.

“Oh, c’mon,” Harry chided, “when in France…”

“Think you’ve got the wrong expression there, Haz.”

Harry’s nose scrunched and Louis thought that adorable was not a powerful enough adjective for how he looked.

“It’ll be a good experience,” Harry tried to convince him.

Louis’ composure cracked as he smiled back at the man opposite him. “Y’know what? Screw it. Let’s eat some garden molluscs.”

“That’s the spirit!” Harry cheered him on.

Together they attempted to order two servings of snails in very bad French to an extremely tolerant waiter for somehow retained his smile throughout. Louis thought that he was a credit to the services industry.

By the time their meal arrived the two of them had already listed out a variety of names that they thought were suitable to call their slugs and had been giggling throughout their entire exchange. Once their dishes were placed down in front of them however they settled into a curious quiet.

“Do they know it’s a bit off-putting that they’re green?”

“I think that’s the relish,” Harry commented as he poked at the very green plate before him curiously.

“Well I certainly am not relishing it,” Louis said, “bit of an unflattering colour.”

Harry was grinning at Louis, “the snails would be so disappointed.”

“Poor, Henry,” he pointed at where Harry was still poking at one of the snails on his plate.

“At least he’s with George and Oli,” Harry joked back at him as he picked up his other utensil. “Uh, I think that this weird contraption goes around the shell?”

“Yeah,” Louis agreed, picking up his own, “the fork goes into the shell and you just scoop that little bugger right on out.”

“Scoop it? What no stabbing motion?” Harry asked, genuinely confused about snail eating etiquette.

Louis shook his head at him. “This is Paris, don’t be so uncivilised.” Just then a thought occurred to him, “speaking of uncivilised,” he trailed off as he searched in his pockets for his phone to take a picture. “My family are never going to believe that I’m actually eating snails.”

Harry laughed. “Who’re you sending it to?”

A fond look overtook Louis’ face. “Just my mum and sisters.”

“You’re close with them?”

“Yeah, yeah, definitely,” Louis said softly.

By the time Louis looked up again Harry was already staring at him with a gentle expression on his face.

Harry coughed lightly before speaking. “So, uh, how about we eat the green snails before they get cold and one hundred times more disgusting.”

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to try them,” Louis pointed out.

“Yeah, but I was waiting for you.”

Louis held his hands up, “I’m all done now,” he picked up his utensils, “we can do this.”

After a little bit of figuring out Louis was scooping the snail out of its protective shell and watching in slight horror at the amount of liquid that accompanied the action.

“Well this is just getting more and more unpleasant,” he commented, trying not to focus on the suction like sound coming from Harry’s snail as he removed it too. “Why are we doing this again?”

“Culture?” Harry asked, feeling much more hesitant when actually faced with a snail for his consumption in front of him.

Louis’ mouth quirked up with enlightenment so quickly that he instantly had Harry’s attention.

“Hey, Harry,” he prompted, “I guess you could say that,” he held the snail skewed on his fork up for inspection before staring Harry dead in the eyes, “I’ve never been a fan of fast food.”

A short burst of unexpected laughter found its way out of Harry’s mouth, the sound exploding from him as his entire face lit up at Louis’ joke.

“I’m never letting you tell me that my jokes suck again,” Harry laughed, “not if you tell ones like that.”

“Aw c’mon mine was good,” Louis protested. “You thought it was funny.”

“Maybe,” Harry conceded, “but my jokes are better… they help people come out of their shell.”

“Oh my god!” Louis laughed. “Alright I give up. You’re the Pun And Joke Master Extraordinaire.”

“Thank you,” Harry beamed. “But I feel like we’re procrastinating.”

“Yeah we are,” Louis admitted. “Alrighty then,” he swallowed, “here we go.”

Louis caught Harry whispering to his snail, “I’m sorry Jeremy,” before he shoved it in his mouth. Louis followed suit, not wanting to chicken out after Harry had gone for it.

They both chewed and then chewed some more. Louis swallowed and met Harry’s eyes across the table.

“Damn that’s nice.”

“Right?” Harry agreed, “like, it kinda tastes like a garden? Not like leaves, I mean it’s meat,” Harry tried to elaborate, “I mean, it tastes like meat left in a garden.”

“So… like a snail.”

“Yeah.”

Louis nodded. “It’s kinda chewy.”

“Yeah.” Harry grinded the meat between his teeth. “Like really chewy.”

The rest of their meal consisted of chewing noisily and trying to put their finger on how meat can taste like leaves but to no avail.

When their bill came, Louis was the one to reach it first.

“I’ll pay for it,” Louis said, already taking out his wallet.

“No, no you don’t have to do that,” Harry interrupted, reaching into his own pocket.

“Harry, seriously don’t worry about it. I insist,” he smiled crookedly at him, “plus you did make me breakfast so we’ll just call this even.”

“Even would be me buying you a meal and you making me breakfast,”

“Alright then,” Louis shook his head gently, hiding his smile, “we’re not quite even yet then.”

“Yet.” Harry emphasised before putting his own wallet away again.

~*~

By the time they stepped out of the café it was arguably going into evening territory. Louis noticed Harry touch his arms on reflex and then frown slightly.

“Alright?” he asked.

“Um,” Harry frown deeper, “did you notice me take my jacket back to my hotel this morning?”

Louis thought back to the events that expired early and nowhere in his memory did he note Harry carrying or wearing a jacket. “Um, no, sorry.”

“Oh,” Harry grimaced, “in that case I have a feeling that I might have left it at yours?”

“Really?” Louis asked, a little confused, “I didn’t notice you wearing one last night.”

“I had it with me,” Harry told me, “And it was definitely there this morning in your suite,” Harry admitted nervously running his hand through his hair, “sorry.”

“Nah, it’s no worries, Harry,” Louis reassured him. “C’mon let’s go and get it then.”

They walked back together happily enough, talking aimlessly about whatever came to their minds.

“Have you seen any of the French television yet?” Harry asked.

“Nope,” Louis admitted, adding on a tad sheepishly, “I wouldn’t understand any of it anyway.”

“Me neither,” Harry sighed, “damn the British education system for not teaching us languages properly.”

Louis laughed, “isn’t that the education system that you want to be a part of?”

Harry grinned, “change happens from the inside out, Lou.”

They reached the hotel and started walking through the doors towards the lifts.

“How can I help contribute to the cause then?” Louis asked teasingly.

The lift opened and they stepped in.

“Well,” Harry suggested, “I guess we could start by educating ourselves.”

“So, watch some French tv?” Louis posed.

Harry shrugged. “Basically.”

“Revolutionary,” Louis corrected with a grin as the lift doors opened again.

Harry’s laughter followed behind him as he opened the door to the suite.

“Ok, you look for your jacket and I’ll look for some French telly to settle down to,” Louis said as he held the door open for Harry.

“Thanks,” Harry told him, “sounds like a plan.”

Louis soon realised as soon as he walked into the sitting room area that there was in fact no television there. His brows furrowed as he even walked up to the wall and tried to look for any hidden panels or switches to suddenly make the television appear, all the while Harry was searching through the kitchen for his jacket.

He wandered into the bedroom, pleased to note that all the rose petals had been disposed of, and for the first time he looked around. There was the television, fixed on the wall opposite the bed, the remote control placed neatly on the table.

‘Right,’ Louis thought to himself, ‘this doesn’t have to be weird.’

He picked up the remote control and sat on the bed, turning the television on. It was pre-set to a news channel which Louis quickly moved over and began channel skipping through the dozens of options available.

“Louis?”

He heard Harry asking for him from the sitting room, confusion clear in his voice.

“In here!” Louis called back as he tried to settle himself on the bed in what he thought would look like the most casual position.

“Oh, hi.” Harry appeared at the doorway. “The tv’s in here?” he asked as he stepped in.

“Yep,” Louis replied, popping his ‘p’.

Harry only hesitated for a moment before he sat on the bed too, crossed his legs comfortably. “I found my jacket by the way,” he informed Louis.

“Oh, yeah? Awesome.” He then frowned, “I, however, haven’t found anything good to watch yet.”

“I’ll help you choose.”

Eventually after skipping through all of the channels available at least once they settled on what they could only assume was some sort of French reality show.

Louis found himself relaxing more and more as they kept up a running commentary throughout. Despite not knowing what any of the people were saying they had clear impression as to what sort of people they were and were happily voicing their opinions on them from the comfort of the bed.

After three episodes and perhaps a few too many judgmental comments from the both of them they eventually realised how the soft clouds had moved over and it was dark outside.

Over the last hour or so they had gravitated closer together so that their thighs were pressed against one another in the centre of the bed. As the credits played over the television Louis stretched his muscles out, hearing the satisfying sound of his bones clicking after sitting for so long.

Harry stretched too and then promptly fell backwards so that he was lying on his back and sighing in satisfaction.

“That was actually pretty funny,” he said before his mouth was twisting upwards, “although perhaps it won’t be lending our education system any help any time soon.”

Louis chuckled, “well I don’t know. I certainly feel more educated.”

“In poor fashion choices and how not to throw a dinner party or…?” Harry led on with a grin.

Louis whacked his arm playfully, “hey, they’re important life skills. Don’t diss the reality tv stars.”

“Sorry,” Harry grinned, “won’t happen again.”

Louis couldn’t help but just smile back at Harry, feeling happier than he had in a long time. Eventually he cast his eyes to the window and made a decision.

“Do you want to stay the night again?” he asked. “It’s already pretty late.”

“Really?” Harry checked.

“I mean, you didn’t kill me last night so odds are you won’t tonight,” Louis reasoned with a smirk.

“Mm,” Harry agreed, “that does seem logical.”

“Really though, you are welcome.” Louis shrugged. “I mean if my mum found out that I was inviting strange men to stay then she would probably freak but luckily for us she isn’t here.”

“I’m not that strange,” Harry protested lightly although his smile still remained on his face.

“Not in the ‘stranger danger’ sense so much,” Louis conceded, “but you are definitely quite strange, y’know, personality wise.”

Harry’s mouth opened in playful protest before he snapped it shut again and pursed his lips. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not,” he mused.

“It is,” Louis confirmed.

Harry smiled again, this time blushing lightly before his brows were furrowed slightly again. “This isn’t just pity for my shitty accommodation speaking, right?” Harry checked, his voice half teasing and half apprehensive.

“Definitely not,” Louis promised, aware that he was probably giving away just how eager he was for Harry to stay overnight again. “I guess,” Louis ventured, “if it helps then I won’t force you to sleep on the sofa again tonight?”

Harry’s eyebrows lifted, “really?”

Louis stumbled over his words, “yeah, I mean there’s really no point. The bed’s huge anyway,” he pointed at the King sized bed they were sat on, “and like unless you have really bad habits then it should all be fine.”

“Bad habits?” Harry questions with a smirk.

“Y’know,” Louis smiled, “snoring, stealing sheets, farting loudly; all the normal culprits.”

Harry bit back a smile and held his hand over his heart, “I promise not to far loudly, Louis.”

Louis laughed and chucked a pillow at him. “So, is that a yes?”

“Yes,” Harry replied cheerfully.

“Good,” Louis grinned, “I’ll lend you something to sleep in as well.”

“Oh, yeah,” Harry blinked as if he had forgotten that he would need that, “thanks.”

“No problem,” Louis shrugged as he began rifling through his suitcase.

“I’ll just go clean my teeth and stuff then,” Harry told him before he was literally rolling off the bed and leaving the room.

Louis smiled to himself as he picked out a navy pair of joggers and a loose shirt for Harry to wear and then grabbing his own similar ensemble of clothes. He turned the television off as well as the main lights, leaving only the two bedside lamps on.

“Hey, Lou, do you have a charger that I can borrow?” Harry asked when he re-entered

“Uh, yeah,” he dipped into his bag and brought one out, “luckily for you I brought a spare.” Louis pointed towards the clothes on the bed, “and those are for you as well.”

“Thank you, Lou,” Harry smiled at him again, dimple popping.

“No problem,” he answered, slightly out of breath. “I’ll, just, uh, go and get ready,” he said quickly before gathering his own sleepwear and disappearing to the bathroom.

Louis washed his face, used the loo and dealt with cleaning his teeth quickly before he changed into his far more comfortable night clothes and shuffled back to the bedroom, making sure all the lights were turned off as he went.

When he returned to the bedroom Harry had already changed into the clothes that Louis had given him and was standing by the bed. The joggers reached his lower shins and he was biting his lips with laughter in his eyes when he turned towards Louis. “I’m not saying anything,” he promised.

Louis couldn’t help but smile at the sight before him. “I should think not,” he said primly before he was pulling the covers off, sliding in and gesturing next to him, “get in then, doofus.”

“Harry, actually,” he commented as he slid into the bed and covered himself comfortably.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Louis teased as he settled down.

“Holy shit,” Harry breathed next to him, “this is the comfiest bed, like, ever.”

Louis smiled at him. “Ever?” he asked.

Harry nodded solemnly. “Ever,” he promised.

“You’re so weird, Harry,” he smiled and amended himself, “weird in the best way, I promise.”

“Well you’re sharing a bed with this weirdo so I’d hope so.”

Louis laughed again as he reached for the lamp on his bedside table and turned it off, harry following soon, casting the room into a soft darkness around them.

“I had a really lovely time today, Lou,” Harry whispered slowly.

Louis smiled to himself, only being able to see Harry’s outline. “Me too,” he replied, his happy expression evident through his voice.

“Night,” Harry mumbles, his voice already sounding heavier and somehow even deeper.

“Goodnight,” Louis whispered back, allowing himself only a handful of seconds to look at Harry before he was closing his eyes and welcoming sleep too.

 

> ** Day Three **

Louis woke up to the sound of light tapping beside him. He squeezed his eyes open and saw Harry sitting up quietly against the headboard tapping something out on his phone. Around them there was only a light dusting of sun entering the room, meaning that they hadn’t actually slept in this time.

He shuffled slightly as he stretched out his limbs, the movement alerting Harry to the fact that he was awake.

“Oh,” he chirped happily, “good morning, Lou.”

“Mornin’” Louis returned, his voice still crumpled in sleep and rough around the edges.

“What do you want for breakfast?” harry asked as he began to climb out of bed.

Despite his reflexes being slowed down by his sleep addled mind Louis could remember a promise when he made one.

“No!” he grumbled in his tired voice, using one arm to feebly pull Harry back down. “I’m on brekkie duty today, remember?”

Harry chuckled, “I was only joking about that.”

Louis sat up properly, “yeah, I know, but I wasn’t.” He pointed a stubborn finger at Harry, “stay,” he commanded.

Harry grinned and lay back down against the pillows, pulling his phone out again.

Louis wobbled his way out of bed and headed for the bathroom in an attempt to try and wake himself up with a quick shower.

After he was finished he made his way to the small kitchen unit and began scavenging around for what he could make. He quickly realised that the very minimum was available, namely eggs, bread and cereal. A lesser man may have admitted defeat but Louis decided to persevere, namely by calling room service.

“Hi,” he spoke into the phone, “I have a bit of a strange request. I was just wondering if it was possible to have bacon sent up to my room?” The receptionist on the other end asked him to clarify. “Yes, just bacon on its own, please. Would that be possible?” She answered with an affirmative. “Thank you so much.” After leaving his room number he began to set about making the part of breakfast that could actually do himself, working to the accompanying sounds of Harry getting ready for the day.

Harry eventually wandered in ten or so minutes later also freshly showered but back in the clothes that he had worn yesterday.

“Was there much point in you washing if you just put your dirty clothes back on?” Louis asked from where he was scrambling eggs at the small hob.

Harry sat down at the table. “Your hair stuff is way nicer and your hair dryer actually works,” Harry explained.

Louis looked back at him and realised for the first time that Harry had actually washed his hair so that it fell softly down his face and looked even silkier than it had before. Before he got caught up in staring for too long there was a knock on the door.

“Who’s that?” Harry asked in confusion as Louis quickly bounded over to the door and after a minute returned with a plate of bacon.

“What?” Harry asked, utterly perplexed.

“Da da!” Louis sing-songed as he placed the bacon on the table along with the eggs and toast he had made himself. “Welcome to breakfast à la Louis style.”

Harry grinned at the set up as Louis poured them both juice before sitting down and joining Harry,

“Well I gotta say I’m impressed, Lou.”

Louis flushed at the praise.

“So, what do you want to do today?” he asked casually.

Harry paused slightly before resuming his eating. “Uh, can we go to the Louvre?”

Louis nodded, “another Paris must.”

“I’m sure we’ll louvre it,” Harry commented idly as he took another piece of bacon.

“Like that joke hasn’t been used before,” Louis told him behind a smile.

“Because it’s classic and hilarious,” Harry deftly explained. “Anyway, does that sound like a good plan to you?”

“Sure,” Louis agreed. “Let’s louvre it up.”

~*~

After the obligatory stop at Harry’s hotel and waiting for him to get ready for the second time of the day and then followed by three hours queuing Louis was pretty sure that his idea of living it up was not that same as the Louvre’s.  At least Harry was with him throughout the ordeal of waiting but there’s only so long that any one person can wait before losing it. And Louis never claimed that he was a patient person.

“Will it really be worth it?” Louis asked again, fanning himself with a tourist guide to the Louvre as the sun rose higher and hotter in the sky.

“It’ll be worth it,” Harry reassured him from behind him shades.

“And it’ll be cold in there?” Louis pressed further.

“Um, I don’t know,” Harry said, “I guess it’d have to be. For all the art.”

“Yay, art,” Louis muttered dryly to himself as he resumed his fanning.

After only a half hour more waiting they were finally inside and Louis became considerably more personable again once no longer waiting in the heat of the sun.

They had lunch in the museum café to which both men complained about the extraordinary prices of the place and out of principle only ordered the very minimum between them. In the end they spent the majority of the day at the Louvre, walking among the many exhibits there and coming up with their own commentaries and critiques when the professional ones simply weren’t cutting it for them.

They both knew that by the time where they were both looking at the Moa Lisa and all they could talk about was how much smaller in person it was and how good Beyoncé had looked in that one photo she took with it that it was time to call it quits.

By the time that they were eventually exiting the Louvre all they had the energy for was following their stomach to the nearby Parisian café Le Fumoir for more hearty dinner before they were hailing a taxi to take them back. However when they climbed in Louis gave the address of Harry’s hotel. It was only after he saw the disappointment on Harry’s face that he realised his mistake.

“I thought that maybe you’d like to actually get your suitcase, or at least some clothes for tomorrow, if you still wanted to come back to mine?” Louis rushed out, eager to not be misunderstood.

“Oh,” Harry looked surprised, “you’d be ok if I stayed again?”

Louis decided that honesty was the best policy in this situation and after spending all his time with Harry for the past two days he knew what he wanted to say. “I want you there, Harry. I think it’s pretty clear that I love spending time with you.”

Harry in turn smiled down at his lap before he was nodding. “yeah, of course I’ll come back with you.”

~*~

Harry had decided to just bring his entire suitcase with him, stating that he would need his toiletries and other appliances anyway so there wasn’t much point in just bring an outfit for the next day. Louis certainly wasn’t complaining.

Almost immediately upon their arrival back at the hotel they were both getting ready for bed, looking forward to actually resting after having been on their feet all day long.

“Why are we so weak, Haz? My muscles ache and I’m just so tired,” Louis complained as he lay down in bed.

“I know,” Harry bemoaned too, “I feel like we’re letting our generation down. Shouldn’t we have energy to spare? Be going out partying right now instead of being tucked up in bed?”

Louis made a dismissive noise, “pfft, parties are overrated anyway. Who cares about that when you could have this,” he gestured around them to the softly lit room and the lush clean sheets that they were covered in.

“Couldn’t agree more,” Harry sighed softly as they both felt the long day finally start to roll off their bodies as they relaxed in bed.

A few minutes of comfortable silence and easy breathing passed between them before Harry was speaking up.

“Can I ask you something, Lou?”

“You just did,” Louis smiled angelically back at him.

“Ha,” Harry replied monotonously as he lazily threw a pillow at Louis head, which was deftly deflected. “Really though, I have a question.”

Louis launched the pillow back at Harry’s face. “Shoot.”

“Well,” Harry began, deciding instead to cuddle the pillow to his chest, “I was wondering why you’re here?”

There was a long pause before Louis replied slowly, “you know why I’m here, Haz.” His forehead crinkled in a deep frown, “remember the tragic story of my cuckoldry? How I was spurned et cetera? Or was my telling you all an alcohol-induced dream?”

“No, that happened,” Harry placed the pillow back onto the bed and he stretched his arms out in front of him awkwardly. “I meant, like, why did you still come?”

“Here?” Louis questioned, confusion creasing his eyebrows.

“Yeah,” Harry nodded as he adjusted himself into lying in a more comfortable position. “Like, why did you not cancel your flight and the reservations? You said that you split up five months ago, right?” Louis nodded which only caused Harry to title his head in confusion. “So why did you decide to come?”

“It was already paid for?”

“There are such things as refunds, Lou.”

“Yeah, I know, but,” Louis rubbed his hand over his face, “I guess I was, am,” he corrected himself, “just being selfish. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and facing Harry, “I already told you that he was the one who paid for this room right?”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

“Well he paid for some other things that I have lined up later this week. I mean, I didn’t really mind too much at the time, because, well obviously we were getting married so it didn’t matter so much. But then,” he paused, “well then I found out the truth and didn’t want anything to do with him.”

“I know,” Harry reassured him with a soft smile. “Please, go one.”

“So, why did I come on my honeymoon alone?” Louis asked himself. “Like I said, I’m just being selfish. Not many people get a pretty much pre-paid for holiday off the back of someone they hate and really, he won’t even miss the money. He’s an absolute dickhead, but he’s also a very rich dickhead.” Louis found himself shaking his head as he tried to explain further. “He already paid for all of this and, I mean, how many people can afford over a week in Paris with all the trimmings and fancy shit galore in their early twenties?” Louis laughed. “I mean I sure couldn’t if it was just down to me.” He peeked at Harry from the corner of his eye before shrugging. “He’d already paid for it all and didn’t seem to care enough to get it refunded so…” he trailed off before turning to face Harry full on, his energy regained. “Look, I know it might seem really petty but I’m not actually maliciously spending all his money. He honestly couldn’t give two fucks about me, as I think is pretty fucking evident. It was all already paid for and well,” he smiled slyly, “maybe reminding him to get a refund just slipped my mind.”

Harry laughed at that but Louis’ eyebrows only furrowed further.

“I promise I’m not a twat, yeah? I’m not on a mission for vengeance or anything. Just making the best out of a really shitty situation I guess.”

“Hey,” Harry said gently, “you don’t have to defend yourself to me, Lou.” He shook his head slightly, “God knows you deserve it after what hat fucker did to you.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Louis laughed dryly.

“Tell me?”

Louis sighed. “I don’t know if you really want to hear it.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Harry said gently.

“It’s not that,” Louis reassured him, “I trust you and everything. It’s just that I feel a bit of an idiot for not calling it off sooner.” Louis turned so that his entire body was on its side and he was facing Harry fully. “He was just a shit boyfriend really. I mean, he was always creepily possessive and would hate me having any other guy friends. And then obviously on top off all of that there was the lying and the cheating. Turns out there’s very few things that I hate more than dishonesty so,” Louis laughed, “he was literally the worst choice that I could have made.”

Harry reached forward and squeezed Louis’ hand briefly between them before dropping it again, the brief touch doing so much to comfort Louis.

“At least he’s in your past now. You can move on,” Harry tried to reassure him.

“There you are with your optimism again,” Louis smiled at him. “But you are right. He’s my past now. I don’t want to have him in my life ever again.”

“So, if you disliked your relationship so much,” Harry questioned, “why did you stay engaged to him then?”

“Everyone just sort of expected it, y’know? And I didn’t want to put my family through the embarrassment of calling the wedding off at first.”

“Did they like him?” Harry asked.

“No,” Louis laughed humourlessly, “me mum hated him. She tried to not show it but it was kinda obvious.” He sighed again, “that should have been the first sign, y’know. Mum’s usually just have a way of knowing these thing, y’know?”

Harry hummed in agreement, “they do tend to be pretty perceptive in my experience.”

“Did you have anything else you wanted to ask me?” Louis questioned softly.

“No, no I didn’t,” Harry replied, “and thank you for talking to me so openly like you have.”

“Of course,” Louis smiled, “I’m all about that honest communication.”

They both laughed lightly between them, the serious atmosphere of the room lifting somewhat.

“I think that’s enough deep talk for tonight, yeah?” Louis asked.

“Agreed,” Harry said before he was reaching around and turning off his bedside lamp, allowing the room to settle into darkness again. “Goodnight, Louis.”

“Night, Haz.”

 

> ** Day Four **

 “Let me treat you to breakfast this time,” Harry insisted.

“This isn’t going to become some sort of ritual is it? Where we swap every morning?”

Harry raised an eyebrow at him, “would you be so opposed to that?”

“Not really,” Louis admitted. “So what’s your plan for breakfast?” he asked.

“Figured we could go out this morning, I saw this cute crepe stand that I wanted to try.”

“Great,” Loui smiled, “well we’re already changed and ready so do you need anything else here?”

“Nope,” Harry replied, as he pocketed his phone and wallet and picked up his sunglasses. “Let’s go.”

~*~

“This,” Harry declared as he ate his breakfast, “is crepe-ly good.”

“Harry,” Louis whined, “that was so bloody terrible.”

“Oh no, did my joke fall,” Harry pointed to Louis’ crepe, “flat.”

Louis moaned although made sure to still let his smile show though so that Harry knew it was all a faux act, because as much as Louis truly thought Harry’s jokes were lame that was exactly what made them so good and perfectly _Harry_. Harry, however, kept on prodding.

“C’mon, Lou, what’s the batter with my sense of humour?”

“Lord, save me,” Louis whispered before he was changing the subject to avoid any more breakfast related puns that Harry could come up with. “So, you know I was telling you about some of those pre-planned things that are going down this week?” he asked.

“Yup,” Harry replied as he ate.

“Well one of them is today, if you want to join me?”

“Oh,” Harry sounded intrigued, “what is it?”

“Ok, so it’s a bit weird, but I found it online and it looked cool,” Louis started.

“Sounds promising,” Harry grinned at him.

Louis laughed. “No, listen. It’s called a Retro Tour and basically someone takes you around Paris in their mortorbike and sidecar, kinda like a moped actually, and well they’ll show you all these sights like the Notre Dame and all that.”

“You’re really selling it here, Lou,” Harry teased him before he nudged his foot against Louis, “I’m kidding. I would love to come if you’ll have me.”

“Wouldn’t have invited you otherwise,” Louis teased back. He checked his watch. “They should be waiting outside our hotel in about an hour, so we still have some time.”

“Let’s just enjoy our breakfast then,” Harry suggested, “plus I need to keep on telling you jokes until you just pancake it anymore.”

Louis wasted the last bit of his crepe throwing it at Harry.

~*~

As they approached it was clear that the man from Retro Tours was indeed already waiting there for them. He wore a brown leather jacket and looked every part the typical French man with his full beard and French flag painted across his bike helmet.

“Mr. Tomlinson?” he asked as they approached.

“Yes,” Louis answered holding out his hand to shake. “Call me Louis, please.”

“Ah, Louis! A good French name,” the man returned, “my name is Remi. Lovely to meet you and your husband,” he smiled turning to shake Harry’s hand.

Louis’ heart hammered in his chest. Harry and him hadn’t thought to discuss this beforehand, whether or not they should tell people the truth of their situation or just lie to escape the undeniable difficulty that would come from having to explain it.

“Uh,” Harry hesitated before shaking and coughing slightly, “I’m Harry.”

“’arry! Wonderful names, the both of you,” he smiled widely.

Louis calmed slightly as he realised that perhaps it wouldn’t be necessary to specify exactly what relation they had with one another. All the same he smiled gratefully at Harry for not having corrected Remi immediately and put Louis in a seriously awkward situation.

“This is the bike,” Remi continuing obliviously gesturing to the motorcycle and sidecar that were parked behind him.

Harry grinned at Louis, “shotgun the sidecar.”

Louis laughed and put his hand on his shoulder, “I’m not going to fight you on that.”

Remi handed them both helmets which he informed them had a little Bluetooth devices set inside so that he could talk to them throughout the tour.

Harry somehow impossibly managed to squeeze his long legs into the small sidecar, although Louis supposed that he managed to squeeze into impossibly tight jeans every day so perhaps it really wasn’t that surprising after all. Louis himself sat behind Remi on the motorcycle and grinned down at Harry by his side.

“Ready?” Remi asked as he started up the engine.

“Born ready,” Louis replied, Harry nodding along with him in agreement.

Remi took them through the streets of Paris, passing along the most famous atractions of the city.

It was somewhere after passing Notre dame, the Champs-Elysees but before they got to the Musee d’Orsay that Louis had decided that he had in fact completely lost all feeling in his right thigh, a fact that of course he had to announce to Harry.

Harry only laughed when he told him and he could feel Remi chuckling in front of him as well but he was too happy to feel embarrassment in the way that he knew he should have.

Remi took them into the busier parts of Paris where he began to weave in and out of traffic a little too alarmingly for Louis’ liking. Harry apparently felt the same as after one particularly close call as the motorcycle lurched to the side Louis felt Harry’s hand gripping just above his knee where he could reach easiest. Louis didn’t even think twice before he pried Harry hand off only to interlace their fingers and hold his hand properly between them, squeezing him lightly in support when Remi sped up again.

Eventually Remi slowed down again as he dived down a more secluded lane.

“This here,” he spoke to them and gestured to his right, “is the smallest street in the whole of Paris.”

Harry squeezed his hand and Louis heard his voice through his helmet.

“You could fit in there perfectly, Lou!”

Quick as a shot Louis fired back, “ah, but not your ego, Styles.”

They both heard Remi’s laughter as they continued on their tour.

They finally ended up parked to the side of the Arc de Triomphe. Louis dismounted as elegantly as he could and tried to subtly rub at his thigh to get the blood moving there again. Once Harry was up and out of the sidecar he not so subtly laughed at Louis’ actions which only provoked Louis to stick his tongue out at him teasingly. However it was Louis’ laughter that was echoing around as soon as Harry removed his helmet and revealed how his hair had stuck down in several incredible angles, losing any of the control it had had previously. Harry shook his hair out and ran his fingers through it.

“Wait till you see your hair,” he reminded Louis, cocking his hip out to the side and waiting for him to remove it.

Hesitantly Louis reached up and whipped it off, instantly covering his hair and trying to fix it before Harry could see. Harry of course was having none of this and dived towards Louis wrestling with him to see his hair.

Louis pushed him off and stood with as much dignity as he could gather considering the fact that even he could feel what a birds nest his hair had turned into.

Harry bit back a smile and tutted at him before moving closer and pushing his own hands through Louis’ hair, adjusting it as he saw fit. Louis stood perfectly still for him and tried not to let the goofy and fond smile overtake his face. Harry fluffed Louis’ fringe once more before he seemed satisfied, “there you go, Lou returned to your former glory.”

“Thanks,” he smiled at Harry.

“You are well suited to each other,” Remi interrupted them with a laugh. “Thank you for choosing Retro Tours and I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay.”

“Cheers, Remi,” Louis said as they both shook his hand once more before he mounted his bike and drove off with a wave thrown over his shoulder.

“That was fun,” Louis commented as they watched Remi go.

“It was,” Harry agreed. “Now, how do we get back to the hotel?”

~*~

After wandering around Paris for a considerable amount of time and eventually sitting down to eat dinner together they found themselves at the base of the Eiffel Tower again, this time admiring the shadows that the low sun cast against it.

“Hey, Lou, take a selfie with me?”

“Uh, sure,” Louis replied, a little surprised. Although the both of them had been taking pictures over the past few days neither of them had one of the other yet, let alone one together.

“I want to remember this moment, y’know,” Harry explained as he set up the shot so that the Tower was behind them with the orange of the setting sun in the background and them in the foreground focus.

Instead of cracking a joke about his bad memory and old age instead Louis found himself smiling softly and replying sincerely. “Yeah, I know.”

Harry took the picture of them and held it out so that the both of them could see. Louis had to admit that it was a lovely picture and that didn’t surprise him so much given the fact that yesterday Harry had told him about his passion for photography while they had been waiting in what Louis was now referring to as ‘The Death Queue’. What did strike him about the picture though was how happy the two of them looked together. Something a little painful pinged in his heart as he realised that if he didn’t know better then he would easily assume that they were a couple. But they weren’t and honestly Louis wasn’t even sure if Harry liked him that way. As for his own feelings, however, well he’s be pretty sure about them from the first time he’s seen that dimple pop up in Harry’s cheek and they had only been growing stronger in confidence with every moment he spent with Harry since.

He smiled at the photo and tried to distract himself. “What’re you gonna do with that then? Put it on your Instagram?”

“Oh, nah,” Harry locked his phone again, “this one’s just for me. Plus, it would clash with my aesthetic,” Harry replied in all seriousness.

“What?” Louis asked, his voice edging on laughter.

Harry huffed. “Y’know. I have a _theme_. I can’t just post any random shit there.”

Louis raised his eyebrows at that and adopted an offended tone.

“Oh, so that’s just random shit to ya now is it? If I remember correctly Harold that photo was your idea.”

“And I will treasure it,” Harry deadpanned back to him, a smirk playing across his lips.

“Just not on Instagram?” Louis questioned, his own smile coming back.

“Just not on Instagram,” Harry confirmed with a nod of his head.

“So,” Louis hedged, curiosity getting the better of him, “what is your Instagram like then?”

“Are you trying to cyber stalk me, Lou?” Harry asked coyly with a smile on his lips.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Louis replied. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Alright then, gimme your phone.

Louis let out a small whoop of victory before handing the device over and watching eagerly as Harry typed in his user name and brought his Instagram page up.

Louis pressed follow before he really even looked at the photos but when he did he had the sudden urge to unfollow him only so that he could refollow him, but this time with intent. Harry’s photos were clearly well thought out and stylised, many of them in black and white and just screaming ‘artistic’ from his screen. Some of the most recent ones he even recognised from where they had been. In comparison to his own page that was an unorganised mess of pictures of his family, the occasional pretty view and stupid selfies he had taken it was clear that Harry very much did have an aesthetic to keep up.

“This is actually kinda impressive, Haz,” Louis smiled at him, “you’re a really good photographer.”

“Oh,” Harry smiled too, “thank you.”

“No problem, love,” Louis replied easily, missing the way that Harry’s eyes had widened slightly before a pleased smile had settled on his face at the casual endearment that had slipped from Louis’ mouth.

~*~

Louis had left Harry on the sofa reading something on his phone before he had left for the bathroom only to return to an empty room.

“Haz?” Louis called as he poked his head around the bedroom door, trying to locate the man in question.

There Harry was, sprawled diagonally across the bed, his feet resting on the plush pillows, pouting petulant at his mobile.

Upon hearing Louis enter Harry had snapped his attention up and instead of the usual smile greeting Louis’ presence Harry’s face fell into one of horror.

“Mum!” he exclaimed loudly with wide eyes as he quickly reverted his attention back to the screen in front of him. “Mum,” he began again nervously, “Louis’s just walked in the room.”

Louis himself had halted all movements and was left standing in the door frame. He was shifting his weight awkwardly between his feet, debating whether or not to make his exit. It was only when he heard the excited babble of, “Oh! Let me meet him then, love,” coming from Harry’s phone that he made his way over to the bed where Harry had moved to sit up and allow room for Louis to seat himself beside him. On his way over Harry had shot him a desperate look which Louis didn’t know what to make off, but if the nervous jiggling of one of Harry’s crossed legs next to him was any sign then it surely meant Louis was in for an interesting conversation.

Louis waved awkwardly at Harry’s phone one he was positioned comfortably. The woman on the screen before him was beaming, showing her rows of perfect teeth, and it struck Louis that she was incredibly glamorous despite the comfy clothes she adorned. With a slight ping to his heart he realised that she reminded him of his own mum. At this realisation he found himself instantly relaxing and smiling at the woman.

“Hello!” he greeted enthusiastically.

He felt Harry elbow him in the side and turned to see the embarrassment that was colouring his cheeks.

“Hello, dear,” Harry’s mum replied kindly and Louis turned his attention back to the screen in time to see the mischievous sparkle light her eyes

“Sorry for disturbing your Skype session,” Louis told her, turning up the charm, “it’s lovely to meet you though. I’m Louis.”

“Nonsense! I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for so long it’s no disturbance,” she reassured, “my name’s Anne.”

At her words Louis raised an eyebrow at Harry, who was staring back at his mother with panic in his eyes.

“Oh?” Louis questioned while grinning back at Ann, “I hadn’t realised Harry had told you about me.”

Anne let out in a short burst before she made eye contact with Harry and then proceeded to try and muffle her giggles. Harry’s leg was still bouncing rapidly up and down.

“Sorry,” she said from behind her hand, “it’s just that H has told me a fair bit about you.”

“Oh really?” Louis teased, smirking at Harry.

“Hey!” Harry finally spoke up, “I told her as much as anyone would when you’re acquire a stranger on your travels.”

“Acquire?” Louis raised his eyebrows. “I’m not your possession, Haz.”

Harry rolled his eyes.

“Fine. When you pick up a lost straggler then,” Harry amended with a twitch playing on his lips.

“Oh, much better,” Louis replied dryly.

Harry’s nervous jigging had calmed down significantly but all the same Louis placed his hand gently on Harry’s thigh which instantly halted the slight bounce that had still remained in his knee. Louis told himself firmly that it was only because the shaking of the bed was growing annoying.

“It sounds like you two have been having a good time, though,” Anne said through the screen.

Harry nodded as Louis replied enthusiastically, “oh yeah, it’s been really great, thanks.

“You weren’t saying that yesterday in ‘The Death Queue’,” Harry mumbled.

“What was that?” Anne asked.

“Nothing!” Harry chirped happily making Louis laugh. “Anyways, mum, it was lovely speaking to you.”

“But you want me to sod off now?” she guessed, a smirk playing on her own lips.

“Hey,” Harry protested, “I would never say that to my own mum.” He smiled, “but yes, please do go now.”

Anne laughed too, “alright, alright I get the message. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

“That wasn’t what I,” Harry sighed, “alright, mum. Bye, love you.”

“Bye, Anne,” Louis chirped in before she left.

“Bye loves,” she returned before the call was disconnecting again.

Harry turned to Louis, “um, sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Louis smiled seemingly unbothered, “reminds me that I should probably give my mum a call at some point.” He stretched his hands behind his head, “but not tonight I think. Kinda want to hit the sack.”

“Alright,” Harry agreed easily.

Their night time routine had become somewhat polished over the last few nights so that it only took about ten minutes before the two of them were tucked under the covers.

“Goodnight, Lou,” Harry mumbled for where he was already half asleep opposite him.

“Night, love,” Louis returned before he was closing his eyes and letting sleep take over.

 

> ** Day Five **

Louis was lounging on the bed as he had been for the majority of the morning. It was fast approaching twelve o’clock but Harry and him had decided to have a lazy morning having woken up at ten and felt absolutely no urgency to go anywhere. 

“Ok,” Louis looked up from his phone, “I think I know where to go for lunch.”

“Oh, yeah?” Harry asked as he finished combing through his hair, “did you google something? Cheeky TripAdvisor?”

“Shut up,” Louis laughed, crossing his legs in the air as he did so. “We can go to Paris’ oldest café if you want?

Harry smiled at him and Louis was sure his heart stopped, even if only for a second. “That actually sounds pretty cool. What’s it called?”

“Um,” Louis’ forehead furrowed and he tried to find his way around the pronunciation, “Le Procope?” He shrugged slightly before rolling onto his back, “opened in sixteen eighty six and it kinda doubles as a café and a museum.”

Harry came into his view as he walked over to the bed with a smirk on his face. “Ok, you definitely googled that,” he quirked his eyebrow, “what sort of a museum?”

“Um,” Louis started, “like towards its most famous patrons I think?” He slid off the bed until his feet were hitting the ground and he was upright again. “Only one way to find out, really.”

He made his way to the door and slipped his shoes on as Harry followed him, making last checks that he had his wallet and sunglasses with him as they went.

“Ready?” Louis asked.

“Yep. Bring on all the facts you got on you, Tomlinson.”

Louis grinned in return and opened the door, holding it open for Harry to go through first. He made a mental note to himself to use google more often.

~*~

They stood inside Le Procope both with tilted heads and smiles on their lips as they looked at Napolean’s hat inside of a small glass cabinet. The reason behind their smiles was Louis’ first comment upon seeing the historical item.

“He was a bit of a small lad weren’t he?”

Harry had laughed and observed the small hat in a new light.

“Can’t say you’re wrong about that,” he turned to face Louis and lowered his voice, “best not to talk too loudly though. Some people get offended at being called small, y’know?”

Louis elbowed him and levelled him with an unimpressed look, “well, Napoleon’s isn’t exactly around to get offended now is he?”

“Better be careful of the other short people then,” Harry quipped back while very purposefully looking down at Louis.

Louis narrowed his eyes at him and pouted slightly if only to hide the smile that was threatening to break through.

“I’m never taking you to lunch again.”

“Sure,” Harry laughed before he continued on to look at the other exhibits of the museum. All Louis could do was roll his eyes and follow after him, taking his dented ego with him.

After they were seated in the dining area and given menus Louis remembered a fact he had read earlier than seemed more than appropriate to bring up.

“Want to know what the speciality of this place is?” Louis asked, a smile playing on his lips.

“What?”

“Calf-head casserole,” Louis told him with a completely straight face.

Harry paused a second before asking, “as in, what? They boil a calf’s head?”

Louis laughed, “something like that I guess.” He quirked his eyebrow, “you feeling up to it?”

A slow smile to match Louis’ spread across his own face as he answered. “That doesn’t sound like something I want to cow down on.”

Louis resisted the urge to hide his face in his hands, opting instead to blink in disbelief at the man opposite him. Harry, apparently, took this for lack of understanding.

“Get it? Cow down, not chow down. Because it’s a calf,” he explained.

“Oh, no, I got it,” Louis shook his head slowly, “I’m just constantly in awe at your level of punnage.”

Harry tilted his head and pursed his lips before nodding. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

As they settled down to eat their more standard meals the topic eventually turned to their home lives, particularly about Harry’s career.

“Why do you want to be a teacher then?” Louis asked.

“I just love kids,” Harry smiled and shrugged, “always seemed to get along well with them as well.”

Louis tilted his head to the side, “well, you probably have the same sense of humour,” he appraised.

Without missing a beat Harry shot back, “well, everyone knows kids are hilarious.”

A little shocked at the speed of Harry’s response Louis couldn’t help but laugh. “That isn’t the first time you’ve have someone draw that comparison, is it?”

Harry smiled down at his food. “Maybe,” he teased in a slow drawl, “maybe not.”

“Oh, it definitely is.”

Harry met his eyes for a second before he broke. “Yeah, ok I admit it. My mum said that,” he ended with a shrug.

“Oh,” Louis teased, “Anne is savage.”

“Oi,” Harry laughed back at him, “I’m sure she meant it in the best way.”

Not willing to risk pulling the smile from Harry’s face Louis just shrugged and conceded with a playful, “sure.” Harry pouted slightly at him all the same. “Anyway,” Louis prompted, “tell me more about teaching?”

Harry shrugged at him, “I mean I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to teach. Well, either that or bake.”

“Oh, really?” Louis asked, intrigued.

“Oh, yeah definitely,” Harry grinned, “I used to be a baker.”

~*~

After they had finished eating and had split the bill they found themselves wandering idly through the streets of Paris, trying to soak up the atmosphere.

Of course Harry managed to find a bakery and drag Louis into it, going on about his past life as a baker.

“I don’t want to ruin the dream, love, but I don’t think that working as a bakery assistant at sixteen makes you a baker exactly,” Louis told him as Harry was pointing out a collection of gold coloured macarons to him.

Harry tutted at him gently. “And that would be where you are wrong, Louis.”

“Sorry,” Louis laughed, “I won’t question the pro baker again.”

“Much appreciated,” Harry nodded jokingly back at him. “Also, did you know that France has a national macaron day?”

Louis couldn’t help but be endeared by just how excited Harry was at this prospect. “I didn’t know that. When is it?”

“Don’t know, actually,” Harry said with a shrug which only caused Louis to laugh lightly.

“Well we’ll just have to come back for that, won’t we?”

“Deal.” Harry grinned.

~*~

After an afternoon spent shopping around and taking in the sun Harry had worked up enough of an appetite to pull Louis into the nearest café they found for what he was dubbing ‘lupper’.

“Why a mix between lunch and supper?” Louis asked with a smile once they were seated, “Why not lunch and dinner? Dunch! Dunch sounds way cooler,” he pointed out.

“No way,” Harry argued, “lupper is where it’s at.”

“How about lunch and tea? Lea? Just anything that isn’t bloddy lupper, Harry.”

“Sorry, Lou,” Harry grinned, “I think I have the lupper hand here.”

Louis wanted to sigh in disapproval but it ended up coming out as more of a breathy laugh. The smile on his face probably wasn’t helping any. He tried to think of an appropriate response.

“That pun is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Louis soon realised however that in Harry-logic this could only mean one thing. “Ah,” he smiled happily, “that’s how you know you’ve made a good pun.” He paused. “Dunch-ya know?”

“I literally hate you,” Louis replied hiding his smile in his drink although his eyes shined over his glass back at Harry.

Harry winked at him before the smile was falling from his face slightly. “Well, I guess you won’t actually have to deal with my puns forever.”

Louis’ own face fell. “No, I guess not,” he replied with a frown marring his face.

Harry looked away, avoiding eye contact as he asked his next question. “So, uh, when are you going?”

“Um,” Louis looked at the table, “five days from now. You?”

Harry hummed, “yeah, uh, about a week I think.”

“Right,” Louis nodded

He finally brought his head up and saw that Harry had focused his attention back on him as well. Faced with having Harry meet his eyes and reminding himself of how happy he had been in the past few days Louis decided to follow his pride and ask the question that had been burning in his mind.

“We’ll still talk afterwards though, right? I mean, when we’re back in England?”

Louis hated how insecure his voice sounded, how hesitant but that faded away somewhat when he saw how relieved the man opposite him looked.

“Of course,” Harry was quick to reassure him, “absolutely.”

Louis smiled again and this time dropped his gaze from slight embarrassment as he felt his cheeks heating up at the prospect of somehow, anyhow, getting to keep Harry in his life. His head was brought back up however when he heard a light exclamation from across the table.

“Oh,” Harry sounded startled before his voice became incredibly soft, “hello there.”

Louis looked to see Harry directing his smile down and so he followed his gaze and saw a small blonde girl on the floor drawing her chubby little fingers up and down the striped pattern of Harry’s trousers.

The girl looked back up at him with wide and curious eyes as she continued to run her fingers along the material. Louis could feel his entire face soften at the sight.

“I think she’s admiring your fashion choices, love,” Louis voiced from across the table. It was then that he had the rather surreal experience of having Harry and the little girl cast their eyes towards him at the sesame time, only Harry was the one who was sticking his tongue out. Louis stuck his own tongue out in return, never one to be outdone. He then turned his attention to the girl sitting on the floor by their table.

“Where you’re parents at, little one?” he asked her gently as he himself began sweeping his eyes around the restaurant. Almost immediately he saw a lightly flushed woman heading their way who he could only assume to be her mother.

“Sorry!” the mother apologised in a very clearly English accent as soon as she was close enough. She bent down and scooped the child off the floor and balanced her on her hip.

“Don’t worry about it,” Louis replied with an easy smile

Clearly at having seen that they were English too the mother seemed to want to explain further. “She’s at that age where all they do is adventure,” she told them with a tired smile on her face, “you take your eyes off them for one second and, whoosh, they’re gone.”

Harry smiled up at her charmingly as he reassured her, “oh, no, please don’t worry. We didn’t mind at all.”

“Oh, well thank you for being so understanding,” she lightly bounced the now smiling child on her hip, “I’ll let you get back to your date.”

Neither of them bothered correcting her as she turned and walked away, the child in her arms leaning around her to smile at Harry and Louis. Both of them waved back at her, causing her face to light up in return before she was being placed back in her seat facing away from them. They both turned back to face each other with matching smiles across their faces.

~*~

Back at their hotel room Harry was sitting on the window seat looking through the large glass panes to admire Paris at night. Louis stared at him with a soft smile on his face before walking over to join him, offering Harry a mug of tea which he graciously accepted. They both shuffled around until they were sitting opposite each other with their mugs balanced on their knees and their legs almost touching between them. The silence was comfortable between them as they took in the view from the expensive suite windows. Eventually Louis broke the silence with a quiet murmuring.

“Look how beautiful the moon is.”

“Yeah.” Harry agreed, “she’s breathtaking.”

“She?” Louis asked, amusement in his tone.

“Obviously.” At Louis’ raised eyebrows Harry only smirked, “what about the moon strikes you as particularly male?”

Louis found his eyes creasing happily as he thought about it. “You might actually be right on this one, Haz.”

“Of course I am,” he replied with a smug and happy smile. “She’s also a lesbian if you were wondering.”

Louis snorted rather indelicately. “Can’t say I was,” he shook his head slightly, “but thanks for the update.”

“Of course,” Harry replied easily, a grin still on his face as he sipped at his tea.

They eventually fell into the comfortable silence again as they simply enjoyed the company of each other without having to say a word.

By the time the remainder of Harry’s tea had cooled, Louis having finished his already and was yawning and making his way towards the bed.

Soon they were both laying back happily, their bodies cocooned in the soft duvet. As always seemed to be the case they soon found themselves quietly talking about everything and nothing, from their hopes and dream to their childhood homes and how they came out to their families. The sky was growing heavy with clouds and night had fully come in by the time that their voices finally started to grow heavy with sleep.

The more they talked the more they seemed to gravitate towards each other until Louis realised that they were all but pressed together in the centre of the bed.

Without consciously meaning to his eyes were immediately drawn to Harry’s lips in front of him as they were slightly parted, lax and glistening slightly in the dim light. Louis wanted to kiss him more than anything else in the world. He brought his eyes back up to meet Harry’s eyes. Harry’s closed eyes as he discovered. Harry was breathing deeply and calmly as he slept and he looked so peaceful that Louis could never find it within himself to be annoyed. Instead all he could do was smile and join Harry in sleep.


	2. Five days to love

> ** Day Six **

Louis massaged his head soothingly, pushing and pulling his hair as he smoothed the foamy shampoo across his scalp. He sighed lowly as he attempted to let his muscles relax in the heat of the shower.

He had woken up in bliss. And he wished that he could describe it in any other way, but bliss was the only apt description.

His body had been enfolded in the soft cotton sheets of the plush expensive bed. He could smell the clean detergent and feel the lightly cooled air pressing against his eyelids. The room itself was cast in faint impressions of light as the sun had risen steadily behind the delicate film of the blinds.

But more than that Louis was in pure bliss because tucked up against his shoulder, breath coming evenly and dampening his collarbones, was Harry.

Harry who had his hair down and was letting his curls tickle across Louis’ mouth. Harry who had a warm arm slung protectively across Louis’ stomach. Harry who was sleeping peacefully in Louis’ embrace, who seemed so at home there.

Harry who most certainly wasn’t Louis’ to hold.

Louis was discovering that it was rather inconvenient to have unrequited feelings.

His hands had started to knot in his hair and so he carefully extracted them from the knots and rinsed off the excess lather on his hands. Just as the steam did around him, his thoughts swirled up and consumed him.

The night before had been torturously close to his every want and wish, well at least in his head it had been. For Harry it might have been a completely different story.

He turned so that the water hit his back, the warm and firm pressure easing the stress from his bones.

"Lou!"

Louis jumped slightly as the sound of Harry’s shout managed to make its way through the thick fog that had gathered in the bathroom from where Louis had been indulging himself in his lengthy shower. He was just reaching out to shut off the water when the shout came again, this time louder and more panicked.

"Lou!"

Now with worry spiking through his blood Louis jumped out of the shower, hitting at the knob to turn off the loud spray as he went.

“Harry?!” Louis hollered back as he grabbed the nearest towel and wrestling it out of its neat folded state so that he could throw it haphazardly around his waist, only his hand holding it up as he gripped the material.

Louis flung the bathroom door open only to find Harry standing sheepishly a few metres away. He was staring forlornly at something in his hands, his eyebrows scrunched ever so slightly in agitation.

“Harry?” Louis questioned again, utterly bemused by the early morning antics.

Harry raised his head and then seemed to freeze.

Louis raised his eyebrow expectantly at him. As the silence stretched between them Louis felt irritation beginning to swell in his stomach as he waited for Harry to speak while his wet body grew cold from the brisk morning air surrounding them.

"Harry? I'm kinda in the middle of a shower if you hadn't notice-"

His words were abruptly cut off as the phone Harry had grasped in his hand began its shrill ring. Louis recognised the sound and moved his gaze to Harry’s hand which was now outstretched towards him. Louis’ phone was facing up in his palm; the screen lit up with his mother’s smiling face.

"Your mum's calling," Harry explained, as if it weren't already evident.

"Right," Louis nodded as he wiped his only free hand on his towel before taking the phone from Harry and swiping across it to answer.

"Hi mum," he greeted easily enough, holding the phone to his ear.

"Louis," his mother huffed, "could you please learn to answer your phone."

He smiled guiltily to himself, "sorry mum, but I am kinda in the middle of a shower right now."

Taking that as his queue to leave Harry began to turn away. Louis’ forehead furrowed. He didn’t want Harry to leave.

Without thinking about the consequences Louis reached out to grab his arm and stop him.

The sounded of his towel hitting the bathroom floor was loud in the silence of the suit.

Harry's eyes did not appear to be in control of themselves as they flashed down, zoned in and then remained frozen on Louis' newly revealed cock.

Louis himself was staring down at the towel piled on the floor in a mixture of horror and betrayal. The faint voice that was echoing through the phone's tiny speaker was all but forgotten as his hand fell a few inches from his ear and the sound was left to travel into the thin air.

Louis breathed harshly in through his nose, having apparently forgotten his necessity for oxygen for the past few seconds.

Together, they slowly raised their eyes until they were stood only feet apart staring into each other’s eyes in trepidation.

Louis couldn’t help but notice Harry’s apparent shortness of breath, or the way that the green of his eyes was largely obscured by the hungry lust of his pupils. Louis’ own breath hitched in his throat. Without thinking he took an uneasy step forward, stumbling slightly as he discovered that his own knees had grown weak.

It was then that his mother’s voice rose loud enough to be heard as a squeak in the silence of the room.

“Louis! Goodness, are you even still there?”

Needless to say Louis had not planned on starting his day with his cock out and his mother's voice in his ear.

Harry’s eyes had shifted down again.

"Uh," Louis spoke monotonously into the phone.

The sound seemed to be all Harry needed to return to himself as his head snapped up once again, this time lightning fast with an almost audible crack of his bones. He met Louis' eyes, his own wide and shocked as if he himself had only just realised that he had been shamelessly staring at Louis' dick for the past half-minute. Louis noticed that the faint blush that was already dusting Harry's cheeks deepened even further.

Louis found that he couldn't break the eye contact with Harry. His mother's voice was still a faint hum in his ear.

He shook his head lightly to himself, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Mum, I gotta go."

Before he had time to so much as breathe his mother's voice was sounding shrill through the phone.

"Don't even think about hanging up on me, Louis William."

"No, mum, I really have to -"

"No." His mother's voice was firm. "We've all been worried about you, Lou and I was trying to give you your space and let you enjoy your holiday but I haven't heard from you all week." Louis felt a pang of guilt resonate deep in his gut. "We need to talk, Louis," she reaffirmed, "especially seeing as you've apparently been spending all your time with this mystery boy of yours."

"Mum," Louis protested weakly.

His eyes were still locked with Harry's.

"No, Louis. You must understand why it's a little concerning that you've somehow picked up this strange man who none of us have ever even met and have gone prancing around Paris with him."

For reasons unknown to him all Louis found himself saying was a fairly pitiful rebuttal of, "Harry's not strange."

At that Harry's eyebrows shot up and he took one shaky step backwards as if the implications behind Louis' words, and therefore his mothers, had physically pushed him away.

"Oh, so he has a name!" Louis’ mum sang sarcastically in his ear.

"You already knew that," he grumbled, beginning to feel that his mother was being a little unfair. He had been in contact, texting occasionally and emailing her pictures. He knew for certain that he had mentioned Harry's name before.

"Well it would be nice to know a little more about him is all."

He could feel the shampoo beginning to set uncomfortably in his hair, only grateful that it wasn't dripping down into his eyes yet.

“You know enough about him,” he reminded her.

“I most certainly don’t,” her voice was confident, “I haven’t even spoken to the boy!”

“That’s because you don’t need to!” Louis’ voice had lowered as he grew more and more aware of Harry standing seemingly frozen in front of him.

“Of course I do, I’m your mother.”

Louis huffed in frustration. Of course she would see things that way.

And then he remembered the Skype call with Anne and thought about the absolute skinning he would be in for if his own mother ever found out. He weighed up his options quickly.

Louis slowly raised his eyebrow at Harry uncertainly, pointed from the phone and then back to him.

Harry's eyes widened even further in panic before he cleared his throat roughly and nodded.

"Here, you can talk to him now," Louis said before he could change his mind, thrusting the phone towards Harry.

Harry swallowed nervously as he took the phone from Louis' outstretched hand.

"Um, hello Mrs. Tomlinson. This is Harry."

Louis raised his eyebrows at the formality and Harry could only shrug helplessly, worry etched deep into his face and lip bitten harshly between his teeth.

Louis only then realised that he was still standing there on full display and quickly reached down and securely wrapped the towel around himself again.

When he looked back to Harry he found him sporting a slight smile on his face as he listened intently to the phone. Feeling his own splashes of anxiety beginning to make their way through his stomach Louis decided to take Harry’s small smile as permission to make his way back into the bathroom and quickly wash the stodgy shampoo out of his hair.

After scrubbing the shampoo solution and running a quick succession of condition, lather and rinse through it as well he was hopping out of the shower again, all previous relaxation he had achieved swirling itself down the drain along with the water.

Not wanting to waste more time and considering the damage already done Louis only slid on a pair of briefs before he was out of the bathroom and looking for Harry.

The soft low noise of Harry speaking drifted its way through the huge suit and Louis followed it until he found its source, lying comfortably on the expensive sofas.

Harry chuckled softly before he caught Louis' eye and pressed himself up from the sofa.

"You’re right! But Louis's just turned up so I'll stop monopolising your time."

Louis raised his eyebrow at his casual tone only for it to rise further as Harry laughed openly at something his mother had said.

"Thank you, Jay, but your son is giving me a weird look so I'd better hand you over."

A pause and then another giggle.

"It's no trouble at all! It's been so lovely talking to you."

A soft smile.

"Oh, I'll be sure to," this time a smile on Louis' direction, "Here he is."

Harry passed the phone over but before Louis put it to his ear be found himself asking Harry.

"What's got you two acting so chummy then?"

Harry shrugged.

"We were just gossiping about you really."

Louis' mouth popped open in horror. Harry shushed him.

"It's rude to keep your mum waiting like that y'know."

Filled with apprehension Louis brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hi mum."

"Where can I get one?" her voice demanded lightly.

Louis' forehead furrowed.

"What?"

"A Harry of my own! Oh, he's absolutely lovely, Lou!" Jay gushed unabashedly.

Before Louis could remind his mother of the fact that he didn’t even have a ‘Harry of his own’ she was bumbling away again enthusiastically in his ear.

“And, oh! You should have heard him when he got my name wrong. Such a polite boy! It was absolutely precious!”

“Mum.” Louis tried to reach through to her but she was off again, not caring about speaking over him.

“And, oh, he seems funny, Lou! Lottie will be gutted that she missed him. Maybe we can call again to-”

“Mum,” Louis cut her off, a little tetchily. He did not want to have to hear any more about how much his mother loved the man he was so sure was out of his reach. “Didn’t you want to talk to me?” he prompted.

Jay laughed, “I _am_ talking to you!”

Louis rolled his eyes as he cast one more look at Harry before deciding to turn and head for the kitchen.

“I think you’re talking at me, actually,” he replied lowly before speaking normally again, “I meant, don’t you want to hear about Paris?”

“Oh, yes yes of course, love,” she encouraged cheerily, “go on then.”

“Right, well.” Louis sighed deeply before he glossed over the details of the past days and what he and Harry had been up to. In his defence he had been snapchatting his sisters but then again he supposed that they couldn’t exactly be trusted to communicate any of it back to his mother, evidently.

 “Louis…” Jay hesitated and Louis could all but see the way that she was worrying her lip between her teeth. “Love, I don’t know how to put this delicately.”

Louis sighed and let his head roll back as he cast his eyes to the ceiling.

“Just spit it out, mum.”

Jay sighed, long and tired. “I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret once you’re back home.”

“I won’t mum, c’mon y’know me!” Louis joked a little too falsely, “when have I ever not been sensible?”

Instead of laughing his mother was quiet on the other end of the line. Louis mentally slapped himself.

“Mum? C’mon just tell me what it is.”

 “It’s just that, I don’t want you to, um, well…”

“Mum?”

Louis could hear her sigh through the receiver before she inhaled again quick and sharp.

“I’m just worried that you’re rebounding with Harry and that this is all going to end in tears.”

Louis paused and took a deep breath.

“Mum… mum it’s not like that.”

“I know but it’s so soon after you broke things off with –”

“Mum,” Louis interrupted sharply, his tone implicit enough from their multiple past conversations that Jay knew exactly what he meant.

“I know, honey, I know,” Jay all but cooed down the line. Louis would have thought it impossible but somehow her voice because even softer as she uttered to him, “you were just so heartbroken when things ended between the two of you, love. I couldn’t bear to see go through pain like that again.”

Louis was quiet as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

“It’s not exactly the same situation,” he reminded her with perhaps a little too much bite to his tone.

“Louis,” she warned before sighing again. “I know it’s not the same, of course I know that. I mean you’ve only know Harry, what, four days?”

“Six actually,” Louis corrected her. Well, five and a half, but details were never his forte.

“Six,” she repeated, “and you’re already falling for him aren’t you?”

The candidness of his mother’s question caught Louis off guard and he found himself spluttering a little.

“What? I, mum, I mean,” he breathed out, “where did you get that from?”

“Mother’s intuition,” she replied helpfully.

“Right,” Louis clipped as he raised his eyebrows and shook his head slightly. “Also things didn’t exactly end recently. I know it may seem like that to you but this was kind of a long time coming. Plus,” he reminded her gently, “even for you officially it’s been five whole months since we broke up. I know I was really angry and hurt back then, mum, but I’m almost completely better now. I promise.”

“I know, Louis,” she replied earnestly, “but I can’t help but worry.”

“Yeah, yeah I know,” he sighed, “thanks for your concern, mum. I do appreciate it, I just,” he bit his lip in frustration at his own feelings. “You don’t have to worry about Harry, ok?”

“Alright, love.”

“Anways, I thought you were the one who was in love with him,” Louis joked, trying to get the tone of their conversion to lighten up again.

There was a long pause from Jay’s end of the line before she spoke again.

“Yes, well, he does seem like a sweetheart.”

Louis hummed his assent, “he is.”

Jay laughed lightly to herself, almost in disbelief. “Well, I’m glad you’ve got him there with you then.”

Louis found an uncontrollable smile to be pulling at his lips, “yeah, me too.”

When Jay spoke again her tone was light and bordering on teasing.

“I’ll let you get back to him then.”

Louis smiled hesitantly.

“Alright then. Thanks for calling, mum.”

“Thanks for picking up, Lou,” she shot back.

Louis laughed, “alright, alright.” He shook his head with a smile firmly on his lips. “Sorry!”

Jay laughed too before pausing a second as if in deliberation. “Ok, you’re forgiven.”

With a final chuckle Louis replied, “well thank you. Bye then, mum.”

“Bye, love.”

~*~

Louis looked at the two full mugs of tea in his hands and wondered when this had become his life. Making two cups of tea on reflex, without even having to think about it.

“Hey, Haz!” Louis shouted, eyes still trained on the two mugs in front of him.

“Yeah?”

Louis had no idea where in the suite Harry was and so he upped his volume even more. “You want some tea?”

“Oh, yes please!” Harry’s happy voice hollered right back at him.

Nodding to himself, Louis felt slightly less stupid about the two mugs situation. He had to firmly remind himself that being hospitable was nothing to be feeling flustered about. He was allowed to treat his guest to tea without having to read one hundred implications into it. Still, that didn’t explain why his cheeks felt a little warm.

Louis was leaning against the counter with his half drunken mug of tea held in one hand against his chest when the sound of incoming footsteps reached his ears. Hearing the noise interrupt the quiet of the morning meant that Louis had a teasing comment at the ready about Harry’s elephant footsteps when he felt it die on his lips in the next second.

Harry entered the kitchen and Louis was fairly sure he forgot how to breathe. His hair was tied up in a messy bun atop his head, revealing the slope of his neck and the tight angle of his jaw. His eyes were bright and the smile stretching his face upon seeing Louis was wide. Harry’s very skin seemed to glow slightly in the light from the overhead fixture and Louis couldn’t help but think about how clean and unblemished it looked and how soft it would feel beneath his fingertips. Harry himself had come to a stop in the doorway, his smile only dropping to allow for his mouth to open a fraction when his eyes moved away from Louis’ face and the realisation that the man before him was still only wearing boxers registered in his brain.

Louis himself was fairly equally as well with the sight of Harry who, although fully clothed, was looking so fresh and happy with errant curls escaping his bun and his plump pink lips parted that Louis found himself in absolute awe of his effortless beauty.

The grip of Louis' fingers melted away as his eyes eagerly took in the sight before him, his mind going almost eerily quiet as all he could do was stare. His tongue darted out quickly to wet his suddenly dry lips. Harry adam’s apple moved noticeably as he gulped. They locked eyes from across the kitchen and the weighted silence between them made the air thick.

Louis was forcibly shocked back to himself as he felt a sudden burn erupt across his stomach. In his Harry-related-daze he had completely forgotten about the mug of tea he had been clutching in his hand, the consequences of which he found himself to be paying for deeply now as the hot liquid toppled over the edge of the mug and onto the exposed top of his stomach.

“Shit!”

Reacting purely on instinct his body told him to drop the offending object and step away from where the pain was coming from. The only result of this was that Louis’ brain caught up with his body just a second too late in time to watch the mug drop from his grip.

"Oh shit!" Louis exclaimed loudly again as he watched the mug hit with the floor, the handle snapping off from the collision and the liquid flying out. Louis could only thank his lucky stars that none of it splashed directly onto his bare legs.

The puddle of hot tea on the floor, however, was rapidly approaching his feet.

"Oh sitting shits!" he shouted again as he automatically stepped away from the hazard and backed directly into Harry who, during the commotion, had moved across the kitchen in order to try and help.

The skin of Louis’ back was met with the soft cotton of Harry’s shirt and before he could start breathing heavily about how broad Harry was, how easily he fit against him and about just how close his arse was to his crotch area he felt something being pressed against his belly.

“Shit,” he whispered, on the edge of a whimper.

He looked down and it immediately became apparent that Harry had somehow managed to source some kitchen paper and had reflexly slapped it onto Louis' stomach to absorb the now tepid tea that was clinging there.

It then occurred to Louis that this reasoning did not explain the hand that was also gripping his hip tightly, holding him to Harry’s front.

Louis turned around slowly and to his surprise Harry’s hands didn’t remove themselves from his skin, only rotated with him as he turned so that when he came face to face with him his palms still remained placed softly against his stomach and hip.

Louis felt Harry's hand move with his breath as he panted softly. He felt Harry's fingers twitch against the sodden paper towel between them.

Louis looked at Harry only to find that his eyes were glued to his own hand held securely over Louis' abs.

As if in slow motion Louis watched as Harry's eyes slowly dragged up his bare torso, mouth popping open slightly as he took on Louis' collarbones, and eventually raised enough to meet Louis' eyes.

"Shit," Harry muttered ever so quietly in mixed parts awe at the man before him and in horror at his own actions. “Are you alright?” he asked with worried etched deep in his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis replied easily. In all honesty he knew that his reaction had perhaps been a little over the top. After all, most of his tea had already been downed and the rest was certainly not of a scalding temperature. More than anything his dramatics had been caused by his surprise at having been yanked out of his trance-like state caused simply from Harry’s presence. He tried not to let his blush show.

There was a long pause between them before Harry slowly peeled his hands away from Louis' skin only to be left staring down wide eyed at the flimsy tissue that had remained stuck to Louis’ stomach.

Louis himself looked down as well and without having to think too hard about it be found himself whispering into the quiet of the room.

"I look like a Teletubby."

Simultaneously they both raised their heads until it was just the two of them holding their gaze standing with cold tea pooling at their feet and weighted silence between them. Harry war the first to crack with a twitch of his lips and before Louis could even comprehend the ridiculousness of their situation they were both outright cackling into each other’s arms.

“A Teletubby!” Harry wheezed, his face pressed into the crease of Louis’ neck and his arms finding themselves wound around his waist.

Louis laughed heartily into Harry’s hair, his own hands gripping Harry’s shaking shoulders.

“What the fuck, Louis?” Harry continued to giggle, his hands tightened around Louis.

Louis rested his head against the top of Harry’s head, burying his laughter there.

“I dunno,” he defended himself, “was the first thing I thought of!”

“Silly Lou,” Harry murmured, the movement of his lips against Louis’ neck suddenly made the older man choke slightly on his laughter.

Before he embarrassed himself further he stepped out of Harry’s arms and pointed to the sticky paper towel on his stomach.

“Teletubby,” he emphasised before he peeled the sticky material away from his skin and chucked it into the bin placed conveniently in the nearest corner of the room.

“Oh my god, Lou, stop!” Harry laughed a little hysterically.

Louis simply raised his eyebrows in amusement and fondness swam in his eyes.

“Tubby bye bye?” he offered up with a grin.

“You’re not a fucking Teletubby, Lou.”

“I dunno, I think I could make a pretty good Tinky Winky,”

Harry laughed again before shaking his head and schooling his features.

“Oh, you’d definitely be Po,” Harry stated with complete seriousness as he bopped Louis on the nose, “because she’s the smallest.”

Louis squawked indignantly and loudly at that before lunging at Harry and digging his fingers in to the dip of his waist and tickling him mercilessly.

“Say that again, mother fucker,” he shouted in what he hoped to be a menacing voice but was well aware that he was giggling too much to achieve such a thing.

Harry himself was making loud inhuman noises at the pressure of Louis’ fingers against his sides and was flinging his arms out wildly in an attempt to bat away the attack.

Louis just smiled menacingly at his attempts and crowed him against the nearest counter, pinning him there by his grip on his waist.

“Take it back, Harold,” Louis demanded through his grin.

Harry looked torn as he bit his lip and chanced a glance at where Louis’ hands lay and then back up to his face. Louis watched as his face settled into one of determination despite the hesitance in his eyes. Harry’s voice shook slightly when he whispered in reply.

“Never.”

“How dare you,” Louis breathed out light-heartedly.

Harry’s breath caught. “Sorry?” he whispered, hardly moving his lips.

Louis tried not to get distracted by the movement. “I am not small,” he asserted with what he hoped was confidence in his voice.

“Sure, love,” Harry grinned mischievously at that.

“Oi,” Louis warned, light playing in his eyes, “remember who’s treating you to lunch today.”

“Oh,” Harry dismissed with a teasing smile, “I’m sure I could find any number of handsome French strangers to do me the same curtesy.”

Louis growled very lightly in the back of his throat, something that if they hadn’t been right next to each other Harry would have surely missed. But, as it was, Harry’s eyes dilated incrementally in response which only served to make Louis press closer to the other man.

“Ah,” Louis pointed out, “but would this handsome stranger of yours let you stay with them in their fancy-ass suite?” He leaned closer still, “would they bring you along with them on all their Parisian adventures?” He whispered against the exposed lobe of Harry’s ear, his breath fanning out and causing goose bumps to rise, “would this lunch of his be as even half as good as the ice cream I’ll promise to get you?”

Between them there was only the heavy sound of their breathing before Harry’s voice sounded, low and quiet. “Ice cream?” he questioned.

“I promise,” Louis returned in a similar voice, his eyes locking with Harry’s.

“Well, damn,” Harry breathed out, “guess I’ll just have to stay with you then.”

“Mmm,” Louis hummed, “what a pity.”

Before he could find it within himself to question it Louis leaned forward and pressed a light kiss against Harry’s cheek. He felt his own heating up quickly at his actions and so he stepped back and shuffled his feet awkwardly.

“Um, I’d better clear this up,” he gestured to the broken mug on the floor and the remains of his tea.

When there was no immediate reply Louis turned back to Harry and found him staring at him with his mouth parted slightly and longing in his eyes. Harry coughed.

“Oh, right, um, I can do that for you?”

“What?” Louis shook his head, “No, Haz, I made this mess, I’ll clear it up.”

“No, it’s fine,” Harry pushed himself away from the counter’s edge, “you go clear yourself up,” he pointed towards Louis’ general stomach area, “and I’ll deal with this.”

As much as Louis wanted to argue he couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable drying tea on his stomach and how sticky it felt against his skin.

“You sure?” he questioned hesitantly.

“One hundred per cent,” Harry replied confidently as he moved to grab more kitchen roll, “now get out of here!”

“Right-o,” Louis laughed happily, “and thank you!”

“Welcome!” Louis heard Harry reply as he turned and walked out of the kitchen to go and take his second show of the hour.

~*~

They were both enjoying ice creams in the hot sun, lounging around on a suitable grassy area that they had found. Louis was a little lost in his own thought when Harry’s laughter reached his ears.

“Lou! Look there!”

He looked towards where Harry was pointing and saw a stand advertising behind it in big bold letters.

“Segway tours?”

Harry grinned at him.

“Let’s go on a Segway tour!” he exclaimed jokingly.

“Speed around Paris on a Segway?” Louis asked doubtfully.

“Yep,” Harry replied, popping his ‘p’ and continuing to smile enthusiastically.

“You’d feel like a bit of a knob though wouldn’t ya?”

“Yeah, but it’s all a bit of fun isn’t it?”

“I guess?” Louis grimaced slightly, “didn’t come all the way to Paris to make a fool of meself is all.”

Harry grinned playfully.

“Need I remind you of this morning’s Teletubby shenanigans?”

“Oh fuck off,” Louis laughed as he pushed at Harry’s arm good-naturedly.

Harry laughed and flung his arm around Louis’ shoulder, pulling him against his side.

“What d’you want to do instead then, Captain Humility?”

Louis grimaced gently. “Haz, we can do that if you want. I don’t want to stop you.”

Harry simply squeezed his shoulder. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m not that bothered, just thought it’d be funny.”

“You’re sure?” Louis questioned.

“Positive,” Harry reassured before turning Louis in his arms so that they were facing each other, his hands resting on both his shoulders. “So, where we off to?”

Louis shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

“What’s this? No scheduled itinerary for today?” Harry asked teasingly.

“Nope,” Louis replied before he paused slightly. “Well, I have a surprise for you tonight, but other than that the day is ours.”

Harry’s eyes lit up.

“What’s the surprise?”

“Not telling,” Louis grinned, placing his hands over Harry’s where they still rested on his shoulders.

Harry pouted which only made Louis laugh lightly.

“Still not telling,” he promised, knowing that it would be worth it to make Harry wait when he saw what was in store for them that night.

The rest of their day was spent shopping and buying gifts for their families after the reminders of both of their mum’s calls. Predictably they brought a nice assortment of both thoughtful interesting gifts such as wines and chocolates mixed with a variety of ridiculous tourist trap items such as multiple ‘I love Paris’ shirts and novelty sunglasses. After having deposited their goods back in their room Louis had announced excitedly that they had time to grab something to eat but then they had to be on their way.

It was at the café that they had found, when Harry had excused himself to the bathroom, that Louis pulled his phone out and called the number he had found earlier. He needed to make a reservation.

~*~

Louis had led Harry through the streets of Paris for about twenty minutes, all the while refusing to tell him where they were going, when he finally stopped walking and turned to Harry.

“I present to you, oh Baker Harry, one of the world’s most famous cookery schools,” Louis announced grandly as he brought them both to a stop outside a building where all the windows panes were painted an appealing blue.

“Oh that’s so cool,” Harry exclaimed, “are we going to get something to eat here then?”

“Even better,” Louis promised before he grabbed Harry’s hand and guided him in through the doors. “We’re going to a cooking class.”

“No way,” Harry whispered, holding Louis’ hand even tighter as he was led through the building.

One of the staff members asked Louis for his name before leading them back to the kitchen working area where various other people had already gathered around. It was only when harry was handed his own apron to put on that the reality of what they were doing really set in for him.

“I can’t believe we’re actually about to have a cooking class in Paris,” Harry said as he bounced excitedly on his toes.

Louis grabbed him lightly around the waist in an attempt to get him to settle down a little.

“I’m glad you’re so excited, love, seeing as we’re going to be here for three hours.”

“Three hours?” Harry’s eyes widened even further. “No way! Oh my god this is the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Before Harry could continue his babbling too much more the chef entered and everyone gathered around their work stations, Harry and Louis had somehow managed to edge their way in directly next to the chef.

“Welcome to Le Cordon Bleu where we have been teaching the culinary art for over 100 years,” the chef announced to them all.

Louis could practically feel Harry’s vibrating energy next to him.

“I am Chef Olivier Mahut,” he introduced himself, “and I will be teaching you how to create the French cuisine of the macaron.”

They were all presented with pre-weighed ingredients as they set to work following Chef Mahut’s instructions to the tee, first by mixing the almonds and sugar together.

Louis leaned over to Harry, speaking in a low voice. “I haven’t cocked it up yet, have I, Haz?” he asked genuinely as he mixed the two ingredients together.

Harry smiled at him. “It’s literally impossible for you to have so far, Lou.”

“I don’t know about that,” Louis argued, “I could have spilled it everywhere.”

“But you didn’t,” Harry pointed out.

“Yet.” Louis said ominously causing harry to giggle lightly at him.

Next they were whisking egg whites together and after one embarrassing moment in which Louis had to ask Harry how to properly whisk after seeing his subpar attempts compared to everyone else’s Louis found that his macarons might actually be coming together nicely.

He wanted to boast to Harry about how well he had whisked his eggs but when he turned to look at him he found himself suddenly very distracted by the taut muscles of Harry’s bicep as he worked his whisk around his mixture thoroughly. Louis’ mouth popped open slightly as he took in the sight before he was snapping it shut again quickly with a hint of a blush trailing its way up his neck. He refocused on his whisking.

“This is pretty tiring, innit?” Harry said next to him as he continued to beat his mixture around.

“Yeah,” Louis agreed, feeling the strain in his own muscles, “why don’t you just switched arms?” he suggested.

“Not as strong in my left arm,” Harry shrugged at him.

Louis smirked.

“Hmm, wonder why your right arm has more muscles than your left. Do a lot of exercising one-handed, Hazza?”

The dirty look the lady across the table gave him was totally worth it for the way that Harry laughed with his head hanging forwards before he winked at Louis and told him, “wouldn’t you like to know.”

The Chef was soon regaining their attention as he told them how to combine the two mixtures before adding food colouring.

“What colour are you going for?” Louis asked.

“Green I think, you?”

“Blue.” Louis nodded to himself.

“Do you think we can go like, half and half with the colours?”

Louis cast a sideways glance around the rest of the class, all made up of very dedicated and interested people. “Definitely,” he decided, “they’d look so sick together.”

Next Chef Mahut was showing them how to pipe the mixture onto the baking tray and Harry and Louis made sure to pipe the exact same amount of little equal splodges of mixture on the marked baking paper as each other.

Setting their macarons aside to cook Louis and Harry where left to talk among themselves.

“Do you bake much?” Harry asked him.

“Not really,” Louis admitted, “I mean I tried to make pancakes once and they turned into literal shit.”

“Literal shit?”

“Well obviously not literal.” He paused. “Although, I mean, I guess they did eventually?”

“Louis!” Harry snorted behind his hand, trying to muffle his laughter, “this is a fine establishment,” he reminded him with light playing in his eyes, “we can’t be making jokes about our digestive systems.”

“Sorry for telling you a shitty joke.”

“I want to be proud of you for that joke but right now I just can’t believe that you said that while we’re in a culinary class,” Harry spoke slowly as he lowered his hand.

“Oh, so Baker Haz is all work and no play?” Louis teased.

In retaliation flicked him on the nose, making sure to spread some of the macaron icture there.

“Baker Haz is trying not to think about shit when in Paris,” he corrected Louis.

Louis grinned at him, “fair enough.”

The Chef was calling for their attention again as they removed their macaron. Louis being very pleased with himself that his turned out so well, and they began to work on their fillings.

Louis and Harry both surreptitiously divided their small discs-like macarons in half and waited until the Chef’s back was turned to quickly swap them over between them.

They set about piping in the fillings as quickly as they could and before long they were both done, standing back and admiring their mix of green and blue macaron halves that were stuck together.

“You were right,” Harry whispered, “they look so good together.”

“It was your idea,” Louis reminded him, “I can’t take the credit for this creative genius.”

The Chef coughed behind them and they both turned at once, innocent smiles plastered on their faces. Chef Mahut only rolled his eyes at them and requested that they at least taste their creations. They were more than willing to oblige as they each grabbed one of their macarons each.

“Ready?” Louis asked.

“Of course,” Harry responded before they both ate their macarons in one bite.

Louis was sure that he heard Chef Mahut sighing behind them. Louis couldn’t even bring himself to care though as he realised that what he was tasting was something that he and Harry had actually made together.

“It doesn’t taste like shit,” Louis muttered in awe as e reached for another one.

“They taste incredible, Lou,” Harry agreed.

“Go team!” Louis exclaimed around his mouthful of macaron as he lifted his hand up for a high five, which Harry granted him and then followed through with a hug. Louis wrapped his arms around Harry eagerly in return and held him tightly, relishing in the touch and their celebration.

“Good job, Lou,” Harry whispered against his hair.

“You too,” Louis replied, equally as soft.

They pulled apart and had their macarons packaged up ready to take back to the hotel with them.

The Chef asked for them to stand behind their work stations once more as he brought out certificates of participation for them all. He came around one by and one and handed them out, each with their own congratulations. When he reached Louis and Harry’s station he smiled at them. “Congratulations Mr, Tomlinson and Mr,-”

He was quickly interrupted by Louis. “Wait!” he exclaimed, “that’ll be the wrong name. May I?” he held his hand out for the certificate which the Chef placed warily in his hands. Louis rummaged around in his pocket for a second before pulling out a pen triumphantly. He set one of the certificates down on the counter and without letting Harry look too closely at it he began scribbling out the name that was there and writing instead ‘HAZZA’ coupled with a huge smiley face. He pocketed his pen and turned round to face Harry.

“Sorry about that,” he apologised. “Anyway,” he smiled, “here you go! Congratulations, Haz!”

Harry took the certificate from him and a huge smile spread on his face as he saw what Louis had done.

“Thanks, Lou. I’ll treasure it forever,” he promised him.

~*~

Walking back from their culinary class led the two of them to the Seine River. They both leaned on the railings overlooking the waters, their elbows touching and swirling clouds of steam being creating before them as they breathed in tandem.

"Paris at night..." Louis breathed lowly. "Sure is a sight, huh?"

"Definitely." Harry agreed, his eyes fixed ahead as he watched the city lights play across the water’s surface.

Between them lay no intangible pressure to find the right words or to do the right thing, all that was there was the quiet of the night and the beating of the other’s heart.

Louis' lips found themselves to have slowly inched up until a soft smile lay on his face, his mind clear and contented from the tranquillity of the moment. Not even the noise of the city could register as anything but a low thrum in the distance of his mind; after all none of those people held any importance to him. All that he needed was standing beside him.

Harry was equally as quiet as his soft complacent gaze never ceased. The water below them rolled gently.

Louis closed his eyes and sighed happily.

With the softest of movements he inched closer to Harry and looped his arm through his so that his hand lay splayed across Harry's bicep. It felt only natural for Louis to rest his head lightly against Harry's shoulder.

He felt Harry turn his head and place a light kiss against his hair and Louis could’ve sworn that his heart felt close to bursting as they settled into their new position contentedly.

"I'm so glad that I'm here with you." Louis told him honestly.

“Me too,” Harry told him, "I think meeting you was the best thing that could have happened in Paris."

"What,” Louis paused incredulously, “better than going to a culinary cooking class or riding a glamorised moped around Paris?”

"You're far better than all those things wrapped up." Harry told him honestly, a smile always playing across his lips.

"Well damn," Louis muttered. He felt bravery sing through his veins as he lifted his head and met Harry's eyes. "I didn't know I could ever feel this way about someone."

"I've never felt this way about anybody before."

"And how do you feel?"

Harry smiled. "Bouyant. Light." He took Louis' hand in his own. "Happy."

"Me too.”

Louis whispered carefully into the night, his words trusted to the hot steam of his breath.

"I want to kiss you."

Harry breathed in the words and closed his eyes. He smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere," Harry reminded him gently, both a teasing and a serious tone to his voice.

With that Louis raised his hand slowly and cupped Harry's check, his thumb pressing delicate circles against his cheekbone.

Louis was struck by the pure beauty of the man before him; of his soft hair falling perfectly around his face and his kind eyes and his soft smile. Louis was fairly sure he was the luckiest man the world to be sharing this moment with him.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered to Harry, his words feeling almost too honest in the night air.

Louis could feel the excitement and awe that he could see on Harry's face reflected back in his own. He didn't know how, or why, he just knew that to let this man go would be the greatest sin.

Louis moved closer still and sighed softly.

“So beautiful,” Louis whispered just a hairs breadth away from touching their lips together. "The whole of Paris can't compare."

Harry exhaled shakily and Louis stole his breath with the press of his lips.

Louis felt as if his every vein was a live wire as the mounting anticipation in his body finally gave way to the plush give of Harry's lips against his own. Fire crackling against his lips and fingertips while a smouldering slow lick of flames burned through his body and made him feel safe, at home.

The way Louis kissed him was reverential, as if every movement of their lips was a chance at worship.

Louis had moved to wrap his arms securely around Harry's neck as he felt Harry's own hands cover his waist before wrapping around him more wholly. They kissed soft and slowly, holding each other tightly as if they never wanted to part, couldn't imagine not wanting the other pressed close.

Louis himself couldn’t believe that he final had Harry in his arms, that Harry wanted him just as much as he did. If he wasn’t experiencing it first-hand then he would’ve sworn that things like this don’t happen to normal people, that they don’t get to meet people like Harry in Paris in a one in a million chance that they would be at the same bar at the same night. All the same he was never doing anything to question his luck again because somehow he ended up with a beautiful sweet, caring and dare he say it but funny man kissing him under the starlight in Paris and he couldn’t imagine that life could get much sweeter than that.

Eventually Harry broke apart and they simply breathed with each other for a few heavy seconds.

“Louis?”

“Yeah?”

“Take me home,”

“Love, England’s like a whole sea away why don’t I just take you back to my hotel room, yeah?”

“Oh my god,” Harry laughed, pushing at Louis’ shoulder lightly. “Way to ruin the moment, Lou!”

“Hey, hey,” Louis complained pulling on Harry’s arm until he was pressed against his chest again, “moment’s not ruined just yet.”

“Oh, yeah?” Harry challenged, his eyebrows raised.

“Mmm,” Louis nodded seriously, “I sure hope it isn’t seeing as I have some high hopes for the rest of the night.”

“And what exactly would they be?” Harry teased.

“Oh y’know,” Louis shrugged innocently, “just getting you back into my bed is all.”

Harry blinked at him slowly, “but, Louis,” he bit his lip and sighed deeply, “your bed’s all the way back in England.”

Three entire seconds passed slowly between them as Louis stared at Harry with his mouth parted slightly before the silence was broken suddenly and loudly.

“Oh my god!” Louis shouted, the sound interrupted by his laughter as he lunged at Harry, wrapping his arms around his waist and lifting him up in his arms and spinning them in a half circle. Harry’s cackles echoed through the night air as he clung to Louis’ shoulders before finding his feet on the ground again.

“You’re such a menace,” Louis laughed, “look who’s ruining the mood now!”

“Guess we’re made for each other then,” Harry shrugged as a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

Louis smiled hopelessly at him as he struggled to find the words he needed. In the end he settled for a soft roll of his eyes and a peck to Harry’s lips.

“Mood officially returned?” Harry ventured lightly.

Louis could only take his hand in his own and begin to walk them away from the river.

“Mood returned,” he confirmed, swinging their hands lightly, “now let’s stop goofing around and actually get back to the hotel.”

Louis felt Harry’s hand tighten in his own and could have sworn he detected a definite bounce to the rhythm of Harry’s steps. He couldn’t help the huge smile that crossed his face when Harry decided that they were moving too slowly and proceeded to pull on Louis’ hand until they were all but prancing their way through Paris.

~*~

Louis opened the door to their room with Harry crowded behind him, pressing soft kisses to the back of his neck.

“Shit,” Louis breathed into the room, only just managing to safely place their room key down as Harry was shutting and locking the door before their mouths were joined again.

Louis moaned into their kiss and knotted his fingers in Harry’s hair, pulling slightly and causing the taller man grip on the small of his back to tighter.

Louis found himself being walked backwards until his back something solid. From there Harry seemed to completely surround him and Louis let himself be pressed into the wall behind him as he tilted his head up and encouraged Harry to all but consume him. He opened his mouth and moaned filthily when he felt the press of Harry’s tongue against his own, his cock twitching in his pants. He moved his stance apart so that Harry could deftly step between his legs and run his hands steadily down Louis’ sides while aligning their crotches together. Harry began to gently move his hips in little thrusts against Louis, grinding their clothed cocks together smoothly. Louis felt the back of his head hit the wall as he moaned between them which only served to encourage Harry to increase the pressure between their crotches and latch his mouth onto Louis’ exposed neck. There he sucked sloppily at Louis’ skin as his own moans escaped his lips and their hips continued their slow grind together.

Louis trailed his fingers down until they were resting over the collar of Harry’s shirt where he began to tug at the fabric.

“Get this off,” Louis demanded into the room before moving his mouth back to wetly connect with Harry’s.

Harry himself refused to let them part for long enough to get his shirt off properly and instead opted to keep his mouth pressed hotly against Louis’ as he worked his hands between them and began to undo his own shirt buttons. Louis took the opportunity to take control of their kiss as he used his grip on the back of Harry’s neck to tilt his head exactly how he wanted him to work his tongue into Harry’s mouth again and again. Louis tried not to let it go too much to his ego when he felt the back of Harry’s hands trembling lightly between them as he frantically tried to free the buttons of his shirt. As soon as the last button popped free Louis was pulling at his sleeves and dragging the material down his arms, using the opportunity to indulge in pressed his fingers into the impressive bicep muscles Harry was sporting. Harry tore his mouth away with reluctance as he finally stepped back and disposed of his shirt. He was about to step right back into Louis’ space before a hand on his stomach stopped him. Louis was staring at where his fingers were trailing across Harry’s warm skin, his breath coming short and ragged.

“Shit, Harry, you’re so hot,” Louis whispered to him between the low panting of his breath as he trailed his palms across the tightening abs of Harry’s stomach.

“Fuck,” Harry replied, “so are you.” He pressed forward again and wrapped his arms around Louis’ shoulders before kissing him again. Louis sighed happily as Harry moved to kiss him again and again, trailing them over his mouth and then down to his neck.

Suddenly Harry stopped and pulled back slightly to look in Louis’ eyes.

“Wait,” he paused, “is this ok? I probably should have asked before I just kinda got caught up but thinking about it now like, um, is this alright? I don’t know how comfortable you feel about, um, this, what with, well, y’know, your ex and um, I guess, the whole wedding thing,” Harry rambled as his cheeks grew steadily redder and Louis’ heart grew bigger.

“Hey,” he interrupted the flustered Harry, “it’s alright. Everything’s fine.” He placed a delicate kiss against his lips. “I want to be here.”

Harry smiled and hid his face against Louis’ neck again, holding him close.

Louis’ own hands wrapped around his back and he placed a kiss against Harry’s hair.

“You ok?” he whispered gently.

Harry pulled back to look at him.

“Yeah. Fuck,” he smiled, “yeah I’m more than ok.”

“Good,” Louis replied before he joined their lips together again.

They kissed languidly and deeply and all Louis could do was treasure the feeling of holding Harry in his arms.

“I would have slept with you on that first night, y’know,” Harry breathed between their kisses.

Louis chuckled a little breathlessly, “you were drunk off your arse that first night.”

Harry looked at Louis as he grinned, “yeah, well even drunk Harry knows when he’s onto a winner.”

Louis grinned in return, “well if I remember correctly drunk Harry also had an affinity for smelling cushions.”

Harry’s face crumpled in mock offence as his mouth popped open in indignation. Louis raised his eyebrows delicately, his hand squeezing at flesh of Harry’s hip. Harry pursed his mouth before his resolve cracked and Louis watched in wonder as a smile stretched its way across his face.

“Fine!” Harry rolled his eyes in surrender, “but in my defence they probably do use some sort of fancy ass fabric cleaners here.”

Louis cocked his head to the side slightly and nodded, “hmm, yeah you’re probably right about that. Can’t imagine they’re going to be spritzing up the place with Febreeze anytime soon.”

“Spritzing,” Harry repeated with a giggle before he suddenly stopped and shook his head. “Louis?” he questioned with a disbelieving smile clear on his face.

“Yes, my love?” Louis replied cheekily, walking his fingers across Harry’s bare bicep.

Harry caught the wandering digits between one of his hands and used his opposite one to lift Louis’ head delicately and force him to meet his eyes.

“Why the fuck are we talking about fabric cleaners when I could have my hand down your pants?”

Louis’ mouth popped open and he found himself letting out a breathless laugh between them.

“Now that, Harold, is a _very_ good question.”

Harry smiled a little lopsidedly as he gently squeezed Louis finger’s between his own. “I think that may be one of my favourite nicknames.”

Louis blinked at him, “what? Harold?”

“Yeah,” Harry shrugged, “you called me that on our first night together as well.”

“How romantic of you,” Louis teased, his fingers stroking across Harry’s knuckles.

“Well we are in Paris,” Harry replied seriously before his eyes lit up again. “Wouldn’t want to be cheesy,” he wiggled his eyebrows at Louis. In return all Louis could do was shoot him a disbelieving look which Harry clearly didn’t find to be a good enough response as he then pressed further, “get it, Lou? Because we’re in France and they like cheese?”

“I feel like that’s a bit of a stereotype right there, Hazza,” Louis pointed out.

Harry was not deterred however as he pressed closer to Louis until their bare torsos were touching, setting Louis’ skin alight. “What’s the matter, lover?” Harry purred gently to him, causing Louis to melt in his arms somewhat. “All this talk of _fromage_ putting you off from our frottage?” At the last word Harry thrust his hips forward exaggeratedly and grinded their crotches together harshly.

Louis gasped and then groaned, the first being from the friction and the second from the god-awful joke Harry had just made. He pulled back slightly to level Harry with an unimpressed look but at seeing the hope swimming in Harry’s crinkled eyes he found himself reconsidering. If Louis were a lesser man he might have maintained his poker face when presented with Harry’s bad jokes but as it happened he was just so _so_ gone for the man that all he could do was let a smile overtake his face and watch Harry’s own transform into one of joy as he laughed.

“Oh my god,” Louis chuckled along with him before pulling Harry along by the hand towards the bedroom. He shook his head and cast his voice behind his shoulder to the man he was dragging along, “now, please,” he opened the bedroom door and turned to face Harry, “shut up and have sex with me already.”

At that Harry promptly sobered up from his laughing and stepped closer again so that his hands were placed his hips. He kissed him squarely on the lips before pulling back.

“Now, sex we can definitely do.”

“Well thank fuck,” was all that Louis had to say before he was bringing their mouths together again.

He could feel Harry toeing his shoes off beneath them and promptly started to push his own off his feet before Harry was walking him backwards once again.

He felt the back of his knees hit the bed and expected Harry to push him backwards but instead let out a slightly yelp when he felt Harry bend down slightly to grab his thighs and lift him up, forcing Louis to wrap his legs around his waist.

“Holy shit your thighs, Louis,” Harry moaned as he placed wet kisses along Louis’ neck and held him securely around his body.

Louis clung onto Harry for all he was worth and moaned brokenly into the room around them as he let Harry have his way with him. Soon he grew impatient at not being able to get his own mouth on Harry and tugged at the roots of hair lightly.

“C’mon, Haz, _shit_ , put me on the bed,” he spoke as clearly as he could past the hammering of his heart.

“Yes, sir,” Harry replied teasingly, laughing slightly against his neck at Louis’ demanding tone. He pulled back to kiss him lightly once more and hoist him further up in his arms before kneeing his way up onto the mattress. Louis clung on to Harry tightly, not entirely trusting that his clumsiness wouldn’t get the better of him and they wouldn’t end up together as a heap on the floor. So Louis found himself pleasantly surprised when he felt his head being lowered and hitting the pillow without fault.

“You didn’t kill us!” Louis exclaimed happily at Harry who was towering over him as he knelt between Louis’ spread.

“Cheeky,” Harry grinned back at him.

Louis raised an eyebrow challengingly, “hadn’t you already gathered that by now?”

“Sure,” Harry’s lips quirked, “but there’s another type of cheek that I’m interested in right now.”

Louis groaned loudly, “oh my god, do the jokes _ever_ stop?”

Harry bit his lip to contain his grin. “Guess you’ll just have to find a way to shut me up then.”

Louis smiled back devilishly. “Done.”

With that he pushed himself up until he could get his hands around Harry’s neck and bring their mouths together again. He felt Harry sigh into his mouth and his arms come around to hold him again. Louis tugged gently until he was bringing Harry down on top of him and he was lying back against the pillows again. He smiled against Harry’s mouth before he sucked purposefully on his bottom lip, nibbling it slightly just so that he could feel Harry shake above him. He felt Harry’s hands rucking up his shirt to expose his sides and his smooth palms running up and down the dip of his waist before he was pulling Louis’ shirt over his head and off completely.

“Louis,” Harry whispered lowly as soon as Louis had broken the kiss and let him speak.

“Hey,” he smiled back at Harry, softness swimming in his eyes.

Harry pecked him lightly on the mouth again before he began to trail his lips down Louis’ neck. He spent some time leisurely kissing, licking and sucking at the dip of his collarbones as Louis whimpered quietly into the air. Eventually he became impatient of Harry’s teasing and bumped his hips off the bed so that Harry could feel his hardness against his stomach.

Harry moaned wetly against Louis’ skin before he was making his way down his body, dotting kisses and murmuring words that Louis’ couldn’t make out against his flesh ye somehow they still made him blush.

When Harry’s lips reached his navel and his hands were playing with the waistline of Louis’ trousers he looked up again. Louis was sure his face was a state of sweat sticky hair, red cheeks and bitten lips but he could only assume that Harry was into that if the hungry look he was giving him was of any indication.

“Can I take these off?” Harry asked quietly as he tugged gently on both Louis’ trousers and underwear.

Louis found that despite his state of near desperation he apparently still had it in him to tease as he found himself to be smiling fondly at Harry.

“Such a gentleman.”

Harry raised his eyebrows at him. “So,” he drew out the word causing Louis’ smile to grow, “is that a yes?”

Louis threw his head back against the pillow and laughed into the room, “fuck yes it’s a yes, Haz! Now, please, for all that is good in the world get on with –” Louis’ words were choked off as Harry pulled his clothing down and Louis felt the wet slap of his erection springing free and hitting his stomach. He wasn’t sure who gasped in their breath more harshly between the two of them.

There was a beat of silence before Harry was murmuring so quietly that it was almost to himself, “well, fuck me.”

Louis laughed. “Yeah, sure, if you want,”

That caused Harry to smirk back at him before he was dragging Louis’ remaining clothes off of his body completely and opening up his own fly to give him some room. As he did this, for reasons unknown to Louis, he decided it was the perfect time to inform Louis in a wholly too casual manner of his desires.

“I actually really want you down my throat,” Harry stated loud and clear leaving Louis with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“Fucking hell, Harry,”

“That alright?”

“In what _world_ would I say no to that?”

“Just checking,” Harry smiled back at him with a shrug before he winked. Louis thought he might actually die there and then because this sweet and absolutely ridiculous boy was in his bed.

Harry wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and Louis had to squeeze his eyes shut against the relief of finally having some kind of pressure down there and against the realisation of just how big Harry’s hands were. Harry began slowly lifting and dropping his hands as he watched the movement of Louis’ dick and foreskin with an intensity that should have made Louis uncomfortable but instead filled him with heat and desire for the man working his cock so diligently. Harry’s thumb came to rub at the sensitive head of his cock when he could tell the movement of his palm was getting too dry without the aid of lube and so he set about gathering the precum spilling from Louis’ cock and dragged it back down his shaft to ease the glide of his palm. Louis couldn’t help but moan wantonly into the air.

“Hey, Lou?” Harry voiced quietly, his attention still largely focused on the ministrations of his hand.

“Fuck,” Louis exhaled against the pleasure he was feeling, “yeah, Harry?”

“I know this isn’t exactly the sexiest of questions.” Harry ventured between the pumps of his hand.

“Right?” Louis questioned.

Harry briefly stopped his movement to look Louis in the eyes. “But, are you clean?”

Louis blinked. Harry was staring at him with such honesty and trust in his eyes that he couldn’t help but answer him completely seriously. “Harry, yeah, fuck, I am. Are you?”

“Yep,” he smiled, “sorry, had to ask.”

Louis smiled too, happiness and heat playing in his eyes. “Well luckily for us responsibility turns me on.”

Harry laughed lightly and pushed at his hips before hiding his face against the dip of his waist, “oh my god shut up,”

“Make me,” Louis challenged easily as he fought against his own laughter.

Harry brought his head up and his eyes glinted in mischief. “Watch me.”

Although Louis could recognise the teasing tone to Harry’s words he could also see the request beneath them. And he was only proven right as Harry specifically waiting until he had made eye contact with him before he stuck his tongue out and licked right under the head of Louis’ cock.

Louis swore under his breath as Harry continued his ministrations, warming them both up with his small licks and flicks of his tongue focused on the tip of Louis’ dick. Louis himself was desperately trying to contain his whimpers and keep his hips from bucking up and demanding more from Harry. Apparently Harry was all too aware of this as it was with one final smile cast in Louis’ direction that h opened his mouth and swallowed down Louis’ cock until his lips met where his hand was gripping at the base.

Louis could feel Harry’s tongue curling around his shaft as he then began sucking gently and pulling on and off in such an exquisite way that Louis was forced to admit that he may have whimpered. Harry kept on going and moving further and further down on Louis in small increments until Louis felt himself reach the back of Harry’s throat. Harry choked slightly at the pressure but didn’t pull off, only swirling his tongue in lines across Louis’ cock as he breathed through his nose before he was pushing down again.

The wet plush heat of Harry’s mouth was making Louis pant noisily into the room and fist his hands together tightly at his sides. His eyes were closed and his head thrown back against the pillows in a weak attempt to control the pleasure that was coursing through him. He felt Harry’s fingers gently prying at his fists and didn’t allow himself to think too much as he let Harry guide his hands to rest on the back of head so that he could feel the continuous bobbing motion beneath his fingers. Louis swallowed deeply and rubbed small circles into Harry’s scalp with his fingertips as the man dipped down again and Louis’ cock was surrounded by the most beautiful and all-encompassing heat. Louis continued to stroke gently at Harry’s hair to try and distract himself from coming too quickly as his eyes rolled back behind his lids.

Harry pulled off a quiet unsatisfied sound. Louis opened his eyes after a few seconds of the cool air of the room hitting his exposed cock to be met with Harry’s face that was mixed parts amused and breathtakingly fond.

“As nice as that is, Lou, I didn’t put your hands there to pat at me.”

“Huh?”

There were a few seconds of only heavy breathing between them before Harry laughed with a pleased look in his eyes. “Oh my god you’ve gone sex dumb.” Louis just stared at him and smiled slightly before Harry was sighing and returning Louis’ hands to the back of his head, this time scrunching Louis’ fingers so that they were in knotted in his hair. He placed a soft kiss on his hip. “Pull, Lou.”

On reflex Louis tugged gently at Harry’s hair. Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“Just,” he paused, “stop holding yourself back,” and with that Harry was lowering his mouth over Louis again, taking him deep and fast so that Louis couldn’t help but tighten his fingers in the shock at being engulfed in his tight heat again.

“Fuck,” Louis whispered, “yeah, ok, let go. I can do that.”

Harry shot him a thumbs up from where his hands were resting on Louis’ hips and if it wasn’t for the fact that his cock was halfway down his throat Louis was sure he would have laughed at Harry’s ridiculous gesture.

Harry was blowing Louis like a starved man, breathing deeply through his nose and keeping the pressure on Louis’ cock constant and glorious as he bobbed rhythmically up and down.

A sad part of Louis’ brain almost wished that Harry wasn’t so good at giving blowjobs just so that he could last longer and never have to be anywhere but in Harry’s mouth. But, as he thought this, Louis also realised that his sex brain had a penchant for the dramatics and perhaps he should calm down on the ‘eternity in Harry’s mouth’ thoughts.

Harry himself was humming happily around his cock as he took him as deep as he could, causing Louis himself to scrunch up his eyes and cage Harry in with his legs. Not to mention pull at his hair and feel the responding groan resonate all the way through his cock. He was in his own sort of heaven.

Louis knew he couldn’t last all that much longer as he felt the heat in his abdomen build quickly and his thighs shake. He started really pulling on Harry’s hair, trying to pull him off before he came down his throat without asking.

“Shit, Haz, I’m, - ”

Louis’ spluttering was only cut off by Harry moaning loudly at the feeling of his hair being tugged so harshly and he impossibly managed to take Louis even deeper.

“Oh, shit,” Louis whispered to himself as he got caught up in watching Harry’s lips stretched over his length and hearing the enthusiastic slurping sounds coming from him.

Louis closed his eyes and tried to count to three in order to stave off his orgasm but he only made it to two before he was pinching at Harry’s ear.

Louis felt Harry choke against him in surprise and thanked god that he was experienced enough to keep his teeth away. Harry quickly removed his mouth from him and pulled free of Louis’ hands so that he could pull back and let a grimace settle on his face at having been pinched.

“Ow,” was his eloquent response.

“Fuck, Harry,” Louis rubbed at his face and exhaled slowly, trying to regain control of his breath. “Sorry.”

Harry pouted at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, love,” Louis removed his hand and almost shrugged, “but I was going to come.”

Harry raised his eyebrow even higher, “yeah, Lou, that’s kind of the whole point.”

Louis felt himself blush slightly. “I didn’t want to, um, y’know, in your mouth without, um, asking first?”

A huge smile slowly spread its way across Harry’s face, “look who’s being the gentleman now.”

Louis rolled his eyes and tried to speak past his still hammering heart. “Not coming down your throat without permission hardly makes me a gentleman, Haz. Just not a massive jerk.”

“I think it was pretty clear I would have let you,” Harry pointed out with a lopsided smile as he settled down again and traced pretty patterns on Louis’ hip.

“Yeah?” Louis questioned with a smile on his lips.

“Yeah,” Harry confirmed with a light peck against his pelvis, “want me to finish now?”

Louis’ lips screwed up in indecision before he replied. “As tempting as that is,” he trailed off before smirking, “it’s actually incredibly distressing to me that you kinda still have your jeans on,” he pointed out while looking purposely at Harry’s lower half. Although his jeans had fallen to his mid-thigh his underwear was still in place and straining against what Louis could only make out to be his fully erect cock. “I think we should do something to remedy that, don’t you?” Louis asked with all the innocence in the world in his voice.

Harry nodded mutely.

“Great,” Louis grinned and began to pull Harry up again so that he was holding himself directly above Louis.

“Hi there, beautiful,” Harry grinned once he was face to face with Louis.

Louis felt a blush stain his cheeks as he tried to laugh it off, “only you would say that after sucking someone’s dick.”

Harry grinned.

“It was a very beautiful dick.”

Louis wanted to roll his eyes and push at Harry but instead he found himself cupping his cheeks and pulling him closer. “You’re so ridiculous Harry, I’m so fucking fond of you,” he whispered to him gently. “Also,” he cocked his eyebrow slightly, “ _you’re_ a beautiful dick,” and with that he joined their lips together again.

Louis could feel Harry smiling against his lips and without breaking the contact he began to manoeuvre himself so that he was rolling on top of Harry and settling himself astride him, straddling him so that his knees tucked neatly against Harry’s sides and his arse lay in the dip of his abdomen.

He broke the kiss so that he could shift back somewhat to grind his arse against the tent in Harry’s pants, making him cry out suddenly at the friction. Louis himself was struggling to catch his breath against his movements as the drag of Harry’s crotch, even clothed, was setting his heart hammering.

Louis trailed his hands down Harry’s pecs and then lower still so that they were resting over his sternum. He could feel the warmth from Harrys flesh and the rhythm of his breaths before he then moved lower down again so that he could kiss at Harry’s abs and smooth his hands over his waist.

“Want me to blow you?” Louis asked curiously.

Harry smiled honestly and replied in a light tone. “If you put your mouth on me right now Louis I will literally come in two seconds.”

“Oh yeah?” Louis grinned.

Harry laughed in return. “That wasn’t a fucking challenge, you loser.”

“Sure sounded like one to me,” Louis replied in a low tone as he pressed his lips against Harry’s hipbone and began to lay attention across it with laves of his tongue so that Harry squirmed and moaned brokenly from beneath him.

“Louis,” Harry moaned deeply from above him, “I wasn’t’ kidding I’m pretty worked up.”

At that Louis decided to take initiative and pulled down Harry’s underwear so that his glistening cock was uncovered for the first time, causing Harry to hiss at the sudden exposure and Louis to pant lowly and shamelessly.

“Fuck, Harry,” Louis breathed as he wrapped his hand around Harry’s length, “so, what do you want to do?”

“Literally anything,” Harry replied through lightly gritted teeth.

“Play bit of bingo?” Louis suggested playfully.

“Fucking hell,” Harry complained, “anything in the sex department.”

“Anything?” Louis hedged.

Harry swallowed and amended his statement. “I mean, yeah, in theory. In reality I’m pretty sure we’ve got about thirty seconds of contact to work with here before I’m literally gonna come.”

“Oh,” Louis grinned, “talk dirty to me.”

Harry groaned and threw his head back against this pillow. “This is most definitely the _least_ sexy conversation I’ve ever –”

Louis licked a bold stripe up Harry’s cock before popping the head into his mouth and sucking gently. Harry’s response was immediate as his stomach muscles clenched and Louis felt his thighs straining against his own arms from where he was nestled in between Harry’s legs.

“Fuck!” Harry exclaimed above him, “shit, shit.”

Louis pulled off and grinned.

“Just so that we’re clear, you may come in my mouth.”

“Thanks,” Harry whispered out breathily.

“My pleasure” Louis replied with a kiss to the swollen tip of Harry’s cock.

Harry’s whine was cut off again with a choke as Louis swallowed him down, his hand covering the base of Harry’s cock.

Harry’s whole body seemed to be stretched tight as he panted above Louis, his hands eventually coming to rest gently on Louis’ hair as he bobbed.

Louis himself had closed his eyes in satisfaction as he revelled in feeling Harry’s length fill and stretch his mouth. He groaned low in his throat and felt Harry’s hips twitch violently upwards, pushing his cock even further into his mouth. Louis removed his hand and took Harry down as far as he could and true to his word Harry only lasted a few seconds before his hips were bucking and he was crying out brokenly. Louis felt his cock pulse between his lips as he sucked down his warmth greedily and tried not to choke. He breathed deeply through his nose and laved his tongue over the underside of Harry’s cock as he tried to swallow all of his come in his mouth. He pulled off and used his hand to pump Harry through the last pulses of his orgasm, the slide eased by the spurts of come that were still coming from his cock. As Harrys cock gave its last weak twitch in his hand Louis pressed a gentle kiss against the swollen head before removing his hands and lips completely.

“Shit,” Harry breathed low, his eyes dilated and wide. “Fuck, Louis.”

Hearing how ruined Harry sounded and seeing his sweaty body laid beneath him Louis found that he physically couldn’t control his desperation any longer and began fisting his cock from where he was kneeling between Harry’s lax legs, one hand shifting beneath him to cup his balls. He groaned lowly to himself as he felt the wet heat of his own hand slicked in Harry’s come.

He panted and screwed his eyes shut as he felt his orgasm speeding towards him. He could still taste Harry’s come in his mouth and licked at his lips greedily in an attempt to gather any stuck there that he had missed.

“Louis,” Harry called to him quietly making Louis open his eyes again. Harry was lying back looking like the epitome of sex with his ruffled hair, his pillowed red lips and his wet eyes filled with hunger. “Come on me,” he whispered desperately.

Louis moaned filthily and loudly, all his inhibitions thrown out the window and he shuffled closer.

“Fuck, Harry,” he whimpered quietly in contrast to the wet sound of his hand flying over his cock.

It only took a few more seconds before Louis felt his body shake and an involuntary moan was pulled from him as he came over Harry, his come painting in stripes across his abs. Harry’s own low moan joined his as Louis held gripped just below his head and panted his way through his orgasm.

With a few last lazy strokes up and down his shaft he finally let go of his cock and fully took in Harry appearance. He had propped himself up on his elbows so that he could look at his own stomach where Louis’ come was slowly sliding down in thick globs. Harry was staring in near fascination as he brought one hand to his stomach and swirled his index finger around in the come gathered there. Louis couldn’t help but lean down and take his head in his hands and kiss Harry with all the energy he had left. Harry responded eagerly and fisted his hands in Louis’ hair to keep their lips together as they kissed.

Eventually they broke apart and Harry was sighing contentedly into the space between them.

“That was so hot,” he whispered.

“Hmm,” Louis agreed lowly before tugging gently at one of Harry’s curls, “you’re quite the kinky one, aren’t you?”

Harry raised his eyebrows.

“What?” he teased, “like you didn’t enjoy it just as much as I did.”

Louis smiled at him, feeling utterly besotted.

“Guilty,” Louis admitted with a smile before he kissed Harry again, unable to resist the pull of his lips.

Harry hummed happily into Louis mouth before pulled back a centimetre.

“You’re come’s drying on my stomach,” he whispered in a put on sultry voice which was only slightly ruined by the playful smile on his lips.

Louis laughed and kissed Harry once more before moving off his body and crawling off the bed. Harry made an unhappy sound but made no move to stop him.

Louis began to feel tiredness settling into his bones as he made his way to the bathroom and quickly soaked a flannel in warm water before cleaning himself off.

He caught his reflection in the mirror and saw how his lips had quirked up in an unconscious smile and although he was tired his eyes were bright and happy.

As he padded his way back to the bed he was greeted by the sight of Harry sitting cross legged and lazily typing his hair into a lose bun high on top of his head.

“Hey.” Louis smiled gently at him as he approached with the flannel in hand.

“Hi,” Harry replied softly with a matching smile.

“Let me clean you up,” Louis murmured as he walked to Harry and carefully ran the flannel over his stomach and cock, clearing any of the remaining stickiness there away.

“Thanks,” Harry grinned at him before asking, “what about the sheets?”

Louis frowned as he took in the rumpled covers slightly stained with sweat and drops of come.

“Um,” he started before topping himself and shrugging. “I mean, I guess they’re used to dealing with this?” Harry smiled slightly at that and then even more so as Louis continued, “could’ve been a lot worse.”

Harry’s smile turned challenging, “I’ll hold you to that, Tomlinson.”

“Looking forward to it, Styles,” Louis grinned back devilishly before planting a quick kiss to Harry’s forehead and turning on his heels.

With Harry’s laugh followed him out of the room as Louis returned the flannel to the bathroom. When he returned Harry had already closed all of the curtains and turned off all of the lights but Louis’ bedside one. He himself had snuggled deep beneath the duvet and Louis couldn’t help but think that the sight of Harry looking so soft and comfortable in the white sheets was nothing short of a gift to all who were lucky enough to see it.

Louis was quick to join him and turn off the light and if Louis had thought himself blessed just looking at Harry it was nothing compared to how he felt holding him close to his chest, feeling the rhythm of his breaths and smelling the clean scent of his hair. He heard Harry sigh happily and couldn’t help but plant a small kiss against his neck in return.

“At least we’ve already got our sleeping etiquette down,” Harry mumbled comfortably against the pillow.

Louis laughed lightly, the puffs of air meeting the back of Harry’s neck and making the younger man hum contentedly.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “we’re going to be fucking _boss_ at spooning,” and held him tighter in his arms just to prove his point.

A few beats of their hearts passed in silence and Louis had thought that Harry was falling asleep until Harry was speaking again, and despite the quiet nature of his tone and the fact that he was turned away from him Louis could swear that he could all but see the self-satisfied grin on his face.

“I’m swooning at the spooning.”

Louis closed his eyes and despite his best efforts found himself breathing out a laugh.

“You’re the worst, Harry.”

“Mmm,” Harry hummed, “you weren’t saying that ten minutes ago.”

“You weren’t making bad jokes ten minutes ago,” Louis countered.

“I can next time if you want?”

“Oh, yes, please that’s exactly what would get me off,” Louis muttered dryly.

Another pause came from Harry and Louis was slightly worried that his humour had fallen flat.

“No need for the orgasm sarcasm.”

Louis turned Harry in his arms so that he was lying on top of him, Harry trapped grinning back at him from under the cage of his arms.

“You’re digging yourself into a hole here, love,” Louis paused before he spoke his next words slowly and carefully. “A chasm.”

Harry giggled almost uncontrollably at that, the sound huffing out of him as he beamed at Louis. “An orgasm sarcasm chasm,” he repeated between laughs.

They both held each other there laughing absurdly at themselves and Louis felt happier than he had in years.

“You know what would be hilarious right now?” Harry asked as he curled his lips to contain his smile.

“What?” Louis asked, half dreading and half thrilled to hear the answer.

“If I started hiccupping right now from laughing so much,” Harry started, “I would have an orgasm sarcasm chasm diaphragm spasm.”

Louis groaned and buried his face in Harry’s neck where he could hear Harry continue to laugh to himself there. He pulled back to take in Harry in all his bright eyed mischievous glory.

“Harry Styles,” Lois murmured slowly in equal parts awe and bemusement, “who even are you?”

“Pun And Joke Master Extraordinaire,” Harry clipped, “obviously.”

“Or,” Louis offered, “just really overtired.”

Harry laughed again. “Yeah, that too.”

With one last smile Louis shuffled around again so that Harry’s back was pressed across his front again, his arm coming around and holding him close.

“C’mon we need to get some sleep, big plans tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah?” Harry’s voice drifted to him, already seeming quieter and more settled.

Louis smirked against his neck, “well, I mean, most of the plans involve this bed but they’re still pretty important.”

“Shit,” Harry whispered, a smile in his voice, “better go to sleep then.”

Louis placed a kiss to his lips, “goodnight, Haz.”

Harry sighed happily again, “goodnight, Lou.”

 

> ** Day Seven **

The morning found them exchanging kisses and smiles as they got ready for the day. Harry was already sitting down to eat when Louis emerged from the bathroom and sat opposite him.

“Did ya know you left marks on my neck?” Louis pointed out, showing Harry the light markings on his skin.

Harry’s eyes widened. “Shit, sorry,” he apologised, “I didn’t mean to and, fuck, I probably should have asked first.”

Louis reached his hand across the table and took Harry’s in his.

“It’s alright, love. I don’t mind it,” Louis squeezed his hand and smiled at Harry. “Plus it’s not actually that noticeable, I mean you didn’t see it all this morning.”

“I guess,” Harry allowed, “I patched together a breakfast if that makes up for it?” he offered with a smile, gesturing down to the fruit and toast that he had made.

“Nothing to make up for,” Louis assured him, “but thanks for the food.”

The atmosphere around them remained light as their chatter filled the room and their feet remained intertwined underneath the table while the sun grazing their cheeks.

“Hey, Lou, I have a question,” Harry asked as he finished his food.

“Shoot.”

“Can I call you babe? Or maybe sweetheart?”

“Um, yeah, sure of course,” he smiled lopsidedly, “you didn’t have to ask though.”

“Well, I don’t know. You’ve always called me love and, well, I love that,” he grinned, “I just wanted to claim this endearment before you did.”

Louis laughed. “I don’t own the patent rights, y’know? Feel free to use any nickname slash endearment that you want to.”

“Good to know, love.”

“Glad to help, babe.”

Harry laughed. “What’s the plan for today, then?” he asked.

“There isn’t one, really. The day is ours,” Louis grinned.

Harry’s eyebrows rose, “so we could do anything? Go out and find a new café or have a picnic by the Tower?”

“Yeah, anything you want, love,” Louis promised.

“Awesome,” Harry grinned. “I have a few ideas.”

With that Louis was flicking his feet against Harry’s, standing and then pulling Harry up from his chair. Harry only moaned slightly but that was soon cut off as soon as he heard what Louis had to say.

“C’mon, I want to blow you in the shower, beautiful.”

And with that Louis was dragging a grinning Harry behind him off to get ready for the day.

~*~

“So I googled somewhere that I wanted to check out,” Harry said as they walked through the Parisian streets, their hands gently entangled between them.

“Oh, yeah?” Louis asked, “what is it?”

“It’s called Un Dimanche à Paris,” Harry explained before he grinned, “and guess what it is.” Before Louis even had time to speculate Harry was speaking again. “It’s a chocolatier and patisserie! Oh, and I think it’s a tea shop as well.”

Louis squeezed his hand and perked up, “well you’ve sold me. Lead the way, love.”

When they arrived and walked into the ‘bar à chocolat’ Louis could almost feel his sugar levels rising there was so much chocolate on view. Harry, too, seemed to be in awe at what was in front of them. They perused the wide selections of chocolate, feeding each other testers and attempting to not overly sexualise their actions too much while still in public. Their success at the later was questionable.

They then continued on and wandered through into the ‘Salon de thé’ and browsed through the vast options of beverages that they could choose from. Louis was picking out a tea to take back for his mum when a sudden thought occurred to him.

“Hey, Harry,” Louis said with anticipation in his voice, “I think this place is brew-liant.”

Harry slowly turned to face him, his mouth open in glee. “Louis, that was tea-riffic.”

Louis burst out laughing, “always gotta out pun me, don’t you?” he teased.

“Always,” Harry nodded, “but I will admit that I’ve been thinking about tea related puns for the last ten minutes so I sort of had an advantage this time.”

“Ah, so you’re not acting on spontanei-tea,” Louis wiggled his eyebrows. He shook his head lightly, “go on then, love. What were your other puns?”

Harry’s face lit up. “I knew you’d appreciate my puns, Lou. Really, I’m tea-ring up.” He grinned, “and they’re not even tea-rrible jokes, they’re tea-mendous. Nobod-tea can deny my hilarious personali-tea.”

Louis was chuckling all along and Harry’s whole body seemed to hum happily at the attention.

He thought for a second before contributing himself, “coming up with those must have left you feeling a little drained, but they were pret-tea good.”

“Oh!” Harry cheered “double pun from Tomlinson, ladies and gents!”

Louis laughed louder. “You’re going to drive the other customers to their boiling point.”

“They just can’t appreciate my wi-tea jokes,” Harry deadpanned.

Louis could only grin at him. “But I do,” he told him, “I think they’re quali-tea.”

“Thanks, cu-tea,” Harry beamed before he wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist and kissed him gently on the lips. Once he pulled back Louis was running his hands gently up and down his arms.

“All punnage aside though, I need to pick a gift for me mum.”

Harry nodded, “don’t want to leave her feeling Jay-ded.”

“Haz,”Louis laughed, “please appreciate the gravi-tea of this situation.”

Harry tilted his head back and giggled quietly, the sound so full of happiness that Louis wished more than anything that he could immortalise it and show it to the world.

“Plus,” Louis smirked, “you’d better get one for your mum too. Don’t want to be Anne-tagonistic now, do we?”

~*~

They walked back into their hotel room and deposited their purchased safely away and Louis immediately fell back on the bed, laying their contentedly as he let his body rest.

“So, you know you were telling me that I could do whatever I wanted to today?” Harry asked Louis innocently.

“Yeah?” he raised his eyebrows.

Harry smiled salaciously and slowly. “Well I want spend the rest of the day in bed with you.”

Louis paused. “But, Harold!” he protested in a faux-shocked voice, “whatever is there to do in bed?”

Despite his words Louis couldn’t help the smile that was stuck on his face, feeling every part the luckiest man in the world to have Harry in his bed.

Harry himself didn’t seem so much in the mood for games and instead decided to crawl over Louis’ body, his hips swaying exaggeratedly as he went.

“I was thinking,” he began, his voice a low whisper.

Harry bent down to trail his lips along Louis’ jaw. Louis’ breath hitched in response and his hands automatically came up to rest along the gentle swell of Harry’s hips.

His lips reached his ear and what Louis could only describe as bordering on a growl Harry whispered to him, “I want you to fuck me silly.”

Louis swallowed thickly.

“Now that, I can most definitely do.”

Louis reached up so that his fingers were tangled in Harry’s hair and brought him down on top of him so that they touched from their chests down to their feet as he joined their mouths together.

Louis flipped them over easily enough and continued to kiss Harry passionately beneath him before he began trailing his lips all along the skin of his neck.

“How’d you want it, sweetheart?” Louis pressed the words again Harry neck, sucking on the skin gently as he waited for Harry reply. When Harry did speak Louis felt the vibrations of his low voice through the expanse of his throat.

“Fuck, yeah.” He breathed deeply, “I want it rough.”

“Yeah, love?”

Harry hummed his consent again as Louis began moving his fingers down Harry shirt, unbuttoning it and smoothing his fingertips over the exposed flesh as he went.

“We can do rough,” Louis murmured as he finished unbuttoning Harry’s shirt and splayed it out to reveal Harry’ chest. Louis ran his fingers over Harry’s nipples and delighted in the way that it made the younger man’s breath hitch.

“Want it hard and fast, darling?” Louis questioned as he slid his way up Harry body until he was holding himself directly above him, Harry’s head cradled in his hands and their lips just inches apart.

“Yeah,” Harry breathed out, his breath stuttering.

Louis lowered himself so that his lips barely brushed Harry’s, holding himself there and blinking at the man below him slowly. “Anything for you, love,” he whispered before joining their mouths together.

Louis wasted no time before he was taking control of the kiss, holding Harry head exactly how he wanted him and plunging his tongue into the warm heat of his mouth. He heard Harry moan beneath him and hands coming up to grab at his waist and hold him there. Louis himself only held onto Harry tighter until he was leaning his weight back on his knees and sitting up, pulling Harry with him without separating from their kiss. Louis was straddling Harry and grinding his arse back on his hardening length causing him to moan hotly into his mouth. Louis kept on kissing him and keeping Harry exactly where he wanted him as he pulled gently on his hair. Harry gasped and Louis saw it as the perfect opportunity to grind back particularly hard, making Harry choke slightly and a very satisfied smile bloom on his own face as he finally pulled his mouth away.

“Holy shit,” Harry panted out, his eyes wide and dilated after they broke apart.

Louis leaned forward and kissed along Harry’s cheekbone as he tried to regain his breath. He reached Harry’s ear and nibbled on the lobe lightly before he breathed out, “I’m gonna treat you right, Harry Styles.”

The corner of Harry’s lips quirked up. “Damn right, you will.”

Louis laughed. “Of course,” he kissed Harry softly again, once on his cheek and then on his lips, “wouldn’t dream of anything else.”

Harry leaned forward and pressed their lips together again. “Thanks,” he smiled. “Now please go back to being all domineering, that was hot as fuck.”

Louis laughed. “Your wish is my command.”

Louis used his hands which hadn’t left Harry hair to tilt his head back and expose his throat. He leaned forward and instantly reattached his mouth to Harry’s neck and began nibbling along his jaw line which had become all the more prominent from how Louis was forcing him to strain his head backwards. He sucked a mark directly beneath the sharpest joint of his jaw underneath his ear and enjoyed listening to Harry’s quiet gasping into the room.

Louis carefully untangled one of his hands from his hair and used it to slip the shirt completely off of Harry’s body.

After he had thrown it onto the floor he gently guided Harry back down to lie on the bed as he kissed him again, eventually trailing his lips lower and lower until he had reached his hip bone. Louis made quick work of undoing Harry’s trousers and pulling them down along with his underwear so that his cock sprang free. Purposefully ignoring it Louis kissed along his thighs, occasionally nibbling at the skin there until they were lightly dusted in pink blemishes. Harry was muffling his moans above him as he tried to control himself and let Louis have his way with him.

Eventually Louis moved lower, tugging the material of Harry’s trousers off of Harry’s feet and he was about to start climbing his way back up Harry’s body in all its naked glory when the man below him sat up with a start.

“Wait!” Harry stared at him wide eyed. “We need a towel.”

Louis blinked. “What?”

“I felt so bad last time,” Harry explained, “I don’t want to leave the poor housekeeping staff to clean our soiled sheets again, Lou.”

“Yeah, I’d rather not be thinking of the staff right now, love,” Louis complained as Harry began untangling himself. Louis protested lightly as he tried unsuccessfully to bring Harry back into the cage of his arms.

“C’mon, babe,” Harry pressed a kiss quickly to his lips, “lemme just get a towel and then,” he wiggled his eyebrows, “back to scheduled events.”

“You make it sound so sexy,” Louis quipped dryly before he was physically pulling Harry back down and rolling on top of him, quietening his quick objection with a kiss.

“I’ll get the towel for you, love” Louis told him.

Harry smiled. “Thank you.”

Louis rolled off of him and made his way to the bathroom, grabbing two towels just to be safe. When he re-entered the bedroom he was greeted by the sight of Harry propped back on his elbows as he lay there waiting for Louis to return with a soft smile on his face.

Louis smiled back at him, in awe of how effortlessly sexy he could be.

“I got the towels,” he declared as he held up the items in question and didn’t even think twice about how his statement was self-explanatory as he was happy just to see Harry looking at him the way he was.

“I got the lube,” Harry replied with a full on grin.

“Oh, did you now?” Louis smirked at him.

In turn Harry held up an almost full bottle of lube between his fingers at Louis and wiggled it delicately at him. “Sure did.”

Louis laughed and moved closer so that he could drop a kiss against Harry’s upturned lips before he pulled back.

“Much as I appreciate the sight of you naked on a bed you kinda need to get off so that I can put these towels down, love.”

Harry hopped off graciously and Louis tried very hard not to follow the bouncing movement of his cock to no avail. He flicked one towel in the air after another and settled them against the duvet.

“Y’know as much as your honest consideration for others turns me on,” Louis smiled as he smoothed down the last edge of the towel, “I’m sure the hotel has dealt with much worse messes than the one that we’re gonna make.”

“Way to hype it up, Lou.” Harry grumbled before he plastered himself against Louis’ back, causing his breath to hitch. “Who says we won’t be making much of a mess anyways?”

Louis swallowed. “Um, I don’t know, that’s sort of up to you.”

Harry grinded his cock slowly into the arch of Louis’ arse as his hands trailed down the front of his still clothed chest. He leaned down and whispered in Louis ear. “I want to make a mess.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely.” Harry kissed along his neck.

Louis couldn’t help the moan that escaped him as he leaned into Harry’s touch. “Wait,” Louis breathed lowly, “we are actually thinking the same thing here, right?”

He could feel the curve of Harry’s smile against his skin. “If you’re thinking that I want you to fuck me then, yeah, we are.”

Louis’ breath deepened considerably. “And just to be clear, when you say ‘fuck me’ do you mean, like, _fuck_ fuck you?”

Harry pressed a very quiet giggle against his skin. “Yes, you idiot, I mean fucking fuck me.”

Louis nodded solemnly with a grin barely escaping his control. “Glad we got that cleared up.”

He turned around and took Harry in his arms, kissing him for all he was worth, stealing the moans straight from his mouth.

He reached down with one hand to grasp Harry’s cock and cause him to gasp while he used his other hand on Harry’s hip to steer him towards the bed.

As Harry fell back against the mattress he began tugging lightly at Louis’ clothes and so Louis obliged by stripping completely so that he could feel Harry’s skin against his own.

“The condoms are on the bedside table by the way,” Harry muttered against his lips as Louis held their bodies pressed against each other.

Louis paused. “Why didn’t you just get them out with the lube?”

Harry shrugged slightly. “Didn’t want to be too presumptuous,” he smiled, “although I did put them in there from my suitcase so I guess a little presuming was involved.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me,” Louis replied before he was pressing their lips together again.

The two of them tumbled onto the towel covered sheets as they continued to kiss deeply, their hips grinding together, sighs moans leaving their mouths intermittently.

“Turn around for me, baby,” Louis whispered when their lips parted, leaving Harry glossy eyed and open mouthed beneath him.

Louis removed his weight from on top of him as he sat back on his heels and grabbed the lube from where Harry had tossed it earlier. Harry himself had turned and automatically slid onto his knees slightly as he rested the rest of his weight on his elbows.

Louis found himself needed a few seconds to collect himself from the sight as his eyes raked over Harry’s form.

“Well, fuck,” he muttered to himself as he moved behind Harry and started running his hands over his hips and arse, unable to stop himself from admiring the beautiful man before him.

Harry clearly must have heard his words as he looked over his shoulder with a satisfied smirk on his face, “yeah, that’s kinda the point, babe.”

Louis smiled back at him, his tongue pressing against the back of his front teeth. “Alright, alright,” he replied as he smoothed his hands down to Harry’s thighs and pressed a kiss against the small of his back.

Louis uncapped the lube and spread a generous amount on his fingers, sliding them over one another to warm it slightly.

“You good?” Louis checked in with Harry as he ran his dry hand down Harry’s leg.

“Real good,” Harry responded and Louis could hear the smile in his voice despite how he was breathing so raggedly.

Without waiting any longer Louis spread his cheeks and pressed his fingers against Harry’s rim, massaging them slowly in circles as he listened to Harry all but whimper beneath him.

He slipped the tip of his middle finger in and pushed slowly, not wanting to hurt Harry in any way. Of course he should have realised that that wouldn’t be the case as Harry only sighed happily at the intrusion and swivelled his hips leisurely as he pushed back onto Louis’ fingers gently himself. Eventually together they had worked Louis’ finger in down to the knuckle and Louis was feeling a little overwhelmed at how tight and hot Harry was wrapped around his finger. He withdrew it slightly only to push back in immediately and cause Harry to moan quietly and push his hips back to prompt the movement from Louis again.

Louis fingered him slowly and thoroughly as he worked his finger in and out, eventually adding another and then another as Harry grew more and more worked up as time passed. Harry’s cock was hanging heavy between his legs as Louis’ fingers moved inside of him, his own hips following the movements as he wanted to keep them inside of him.

Louis angled his three fingers down so that they pressed against Harry’s prostate causing him to moan brokenly beneath him and buck his hips backwards forcing Louis’ fingers further into him.

“God, Louis,” Harry panted against where his head had dropped down to press against the sheets. “Please fuck me already.”

Louis promptly removed his fingers and wiped his hands on the towels they were lying on, unable to stop the stupid smile that spread across his face as he thought about how they were actually being useful. Harry was breathing hard and heavy in front of him as he quickly tore open the condom and rolled it onto his own aching cock, coating himself liberally in more lube.

He wiped his hand down again before reaching for Harry who was shaking ever so slightly from the anticipation.

“Move up a bit, love,” Louis gently requested as he held Harry’s hips. “Want you to hold the headboard.”

Harry whimpered lightly as he complied and shuffled forward on his knees until his arms were stretched out in front of him gripping the headboard and his legs were spread wide to accommodate Louis kneeling between them.

“So beautiful,” Louis whispered as he stared in awe at Harry’s stretched and trembling muscles.

A small sound escaped harry lips as Louis shuffled closer and ran his hands along Harry’s arms, dotting kisses along his upper back as he pressed his hips against Harry’s arse.

He had purposefully gone slowly to begin with, enjoying working Harry up so much and seeing him fall apart on his fingers. But it was hard to forget Harry’s earlier requests and he wanted nothing more than to please him to the best of his abilities, to build him up and take him apart exactly how he wanted it.

“Still want it hard?” Louis questioned, the tip of his cock grazing Harry’s entrance and his hands now securely around his waist.

“Yes,” Harry breathed out unsteadily, “now _please_ fucking get on -”

Predictably Louis chose that exact moment to thrust halfway into Harry causing his words to be cut off with a slight choke as he felt Louis enter him.

There were a few moments of silence between them as the air settled between their panting bodies.

“Alright?” Louis asked as he rubbed his hands comfortingly along Harry’s sweaty stomach and sides.

It took Harry a few seconds to respond but when he did it was with a shaky exhale. “Yeah, yeah, fuck keep going.”

“Ok,” Louis whispered as he steadied his grip on Harry’s hips again and slowly nudged his hips forwards until he was fully inside of Harry.

He pulled out equally as slowly before pumping in again, trying to gauge Harry reaction through his short and sharp patterns of breath. After a few thrusts Harry’s own hips began moving back against his own and Louis was struck with the wish that he could immortalise what he was seeing in front of him forever in all of its beauty.

He squeezed Harry’s hips. “Ready?”

There was a beat of silence. “Uh, yeah? I mean we’re already?”

Louis smiled and leaned down to kiss as high up on Harry’s back as he could. “Ok,” he whispered against his skin before he was straightening up again. “Ok,” he repeated, this time to himself before he was pulling back and thrusting hard back into Harry.

Harry gasped both from the sensation and then quickly followed by the realisation of what Louis was saying. Louis himself wasted no time before he was holding Harry’s hips as hard as he dared between his hands and thrusting repeatedly into him.

Louis had to close his eyes against coming too soon as his hips worked his cock harshly in and out of Harry as he pulled the man back against him by his hips so that every collision of their skin was hard and rough. From the way that Harry’s hands were gripping the headboard so hard that his knuckled had turned white Louis could only assume that he was hitting his prostate on every thrust. Truth was that Louis had never felt more in the moment before in his life as he took in Harry’s shaking arms and the way that the globes of his arse had begun to turn a peachy pink from the slamming of his hips.

It didn’t take long for sweat to fall down his forehead and for his hair to lose all form of control as it plastered itself to his damp skin but Louis found that he couldn’t care about any of that as all he could feel was the heat between him and Harry, all he could see was the sweat glistening off of his back and the bouncing of his arse and all he could hear was Harry’s unbroken stream of moans accompanied by the constant slapping of his hips as Harry took the pummelling like he was born for it.

It was when the noises from Harry turned into near sobs that Louis removed one of his hands from Harry’s hip, leaving a stark pale mark in its wake, and brought it around to grasp Harry’s cock in his hand and begin pumping it in counterpart to his thrusts.

“Lou, Louis,” Harry moaned brokenly between them before he was coming in his arms and shaking apart. He held him through it and kept the pressure of his hand on his cock as he felt Harry spasm around him.

Feeling Harry clench around him and hearing his name falling from his lips was enough to send Louis over the edge too as he finally let his exhausted hips slam into Harry once last time before he was holding himself inside of Harry’s tight heat and coming uncontrollably into the condom.

Despite the overwhelming pleasure he was feeling Louis still had the mind to drop Harry’s cock and press himself against his back, kissing him between his moans wherever his lips met the skin of hi back. They both panted and shook together until Louis felt it possible within himself to move again and he slid out of Harry, the two of them hissing lightly at the sensitivity of the motion.

Louis quickly pulled off the condom and tied it, throwing it towards the bin before shuffling around slightly so that he was at Harry’s side, being careful to avoid kneeling in the pool of Harry’s come that had collected.

“C’mere love,” he slurred slightly as he pulled gently at Harry’s arms where his hands were still gripping the headboard. With the gently tugging Harry followed easily enough and Louis pulled him into his arms so that their chests were pressed together and Harry’s head was tucked into the side of his neck as they hugged.

Louis ran his hands over Harry’s sweaty back. “You good?” he asked him.

Harry hummed happily before he placed a kiss against Louis’ neck. “Real good,” he answered so quietly that Louis could have sworn that that moment existed only for the two of them.

Louis sighed contentedly and treasured the feeling of having Harry in his arms despite the ache he felt through his body.

Harry was the first to pull away but only so that he could join their lips together, kissing Louis slowly and softly in direct contrast to their furious fucking only minutes before.

Louis opened his mouth to him happily as he felt Harry’s hands twisting softly in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Louis couldn’t say how long they kissed for, all he knew is that when they finally parted they were both smiling softly and leaning in to steal a few more pecks between them.

“Let’s go to bed, yeah?” Louis suggested softly, placing another kiss to Harry’s lips.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed and began to move his heavy limbs off of the bed, followed closely by Louis.

Harry pulled the towels off the bed, folded them and wiped himself down quickly before tossing them in the general direction of the bathroom.

Harry grinned at Louis. “Easy clean-up, see?”

“Bish bash bosh,” Louis commented with his own grin, causing Harry to laugh. He swiftly lifted the covers and pulled the chuckling Harry into his arms as they fell into bed.

They settled themselves under the duvet facing each other with their hands entwined between them. The quiet of the room was comfortable as they both let their tired bodies come down from their high and settle into the contentedness of the moment.

“Haz?”

“Yeah?” he replied, yawning halfway through the word.

Louis rubbed his hand along Harry’s knuckle.

“I didn’t want to mention it before,” he hedged teasingly, “but you do know that it’s the very same cleaning staff who’ll have to clean the towels up, right?”

There was a pause at Louis bit his lip and smiled at Harry with mirth paying through his eyes.

“Shit.” Harry responded.

Louis laughed and kissed him lightly. “Don’t worry too much about it, love,” he squeezed his hand, “like I said they’ve probably seen worse.”

Harry wiggled his eyebrows, “they sure will once we’re done with them.”

Louis laughed, crinkles lining his eyes. “Well aren’t you the smooth talker.”

“Sure am,” Harry grinned, “just remember that you’re the one who let me into your pants.”

“Damn,” Louis whistled and grimaced before a smile was overtaking his face again. “Can’t say I regret any of my choices.”

“Good,” Harry quipped coupled with another kiss before he was moving their hands and settling himself on Louis’ chest. Louis brought his arm around Harry’s shoulder and tangled their other hands together, settling down to sleep with one last kiss to Harry’s forehead. He felt the puff of air from Harry’s sigh hitting his chest and felt as if it had a direct line to his heart, filling it from the inside out.

Harry’s quiet and sex-tired voice surprised Louis as it travelled through the peacefulness of their room.

“I’m never letting go of you, Louis Tomlinson.”

Louis smiled at the ceiling, his eyes still closed. “Me neither,” he whispered back. "But for you, obviously."

Harry grinned and pressed himself closer still against his chest and Louis drifted off to sleep with a smile still on his lips.

 

> ** Day Eight **

The morning brought with it a peaceful breakfast in bed together involving cereal and tea prepared by Louis and kisses bestowed by Harry who had vehemently declared that he wasn’t getting up from bed until his arse had recovered. Louis was more than happy to lather attention on him from amongst the sheets however and that is how they spent the first few hours of their morning together, flicking idly through the French television channels and talking quietly amongst themselves. At one point when Louis had tried to apologise to Harry for possibly having gone too hard the night before he was quickly silenced by the press of Harry’s lips against his own.

“Don’t, Lou,” Harry had said, “I loved every moment of it so don’t ever apologise for it.”

“But -”

Louis was promptly cut off again. “Honestly, Lou, I’m fine. If anything I’m overselling this whole bed bound thing because I’m enjoying it too much.” He smiled at him reassuringly. “Actually we should probably get up soon, I mean, I think we should actually do something with our day instead of just romping around in bed.” And then he tacked on, “not that I would really be opposed to that.”

Louis kissed him once more before pulling back. “I actually have an idea for some things we could do today.”

After a little more light complaining from Harry and plenty more kisses between the two of them they eventually made it out of the hotel. By the time late morning had officially set in they had reached where Louis had directed them to and they were boarding a boat.

Louis read aloud from the information leaflet that they were given.

“Right, so this says that the Batobus tour is meant to cover nine key attractions, six arrondissements and 15 bridges.”

“What’re arrondissements?” Harry asked.

“Uh, it says here that they are municipaux, administrative districts of Paris.”

Harry paused. “Yeah, that doesn’t really help.”

Louis laughed and took Harry’s hand in his own. “Let’s just enjoy it then, love, and not worry about the arron-whatsits.”

“Deal,” Harry grinned, swinging their hands lightly between them.

Once the boat had set off Louis couldn’t help but feel that he was in a scene straight from a romantic comedy. There he was in the heat of the summer sun, in Paris, with Harry next to him and their arms linked on the side of the boat as they watched the city pass by them. He leaned his head on Harry’s shoulder and felt happiness well within him and peace settle in his bones. He didn’t ever want to leave.

That was until about fifteen minutes into the ride when Louis began swaying slightly.

He closed his eyes tightly and turned his face into Harry’s arm.

“Not sure if I’m the biggest fan of boats,” Louis admitted as the slow swaying motion was beginning to make him feel a little ill.

“You feeling alright?” Harry question, turning Louis in his arms so that he was hugging him.

Louis pressed his cheek against his chest. “yeah, yeah I’ll be alright.”

“I’m right here,” Harry reminded him.

Louis doubted he would forget it anytime soon.

Harry kept Louis in his arms, rubbing comforting circles into his back and murmuring quietly to him about the couple who were sat inside the boat with their heads in their phones, completely ignoring each other and the scenery, in hopes of making Louis smile. It worked of course as they giggled and judged them together, eventually making Louis forget about the slight nauseating feeling in his gut.

Once they were off the boat and had been on solid land for about ten minutes Louis began feeling like himself again. It may also partly be due to the ice cream that Harry had bought him.

"So...,” Louis began, licking his fingers clean of the sticky sweet residue, “I have a surprise for you later."

Harrys eyes lit up. "Oh another one? You really don't have to keep doing this."

"Oh I know," Louis grinned wolfishly, "I just want to."

Harry's face pinkened up to his cheekbones.

“What is it? You’ll tell me this time, right?” he asked.

“Maybe,” Louis smirked.

“Oh, come on,” Harry whined lightly, “I promise we’ll have really great sex if you tell me.”

Louis burst out laughing, “Haz, it’s been like two days and you’re already using sex as a bargaining tool.”

Harry pouted, “I just want to know what the surprise is.”

“Ok,” Louis smiled, “so we’re going back to the Eiffel Tower again, but this time we have dinner reservations.”

Harry was caught completely off guard by the fact that Louis actually told him what he was planning.

“Shut up, Lou, really?”

“Yes, really,” Louis confirmed. “But it’s for dinner so we’ve got ages to kill in between.”

“Want to do anything in particular?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, I have an idea. How do you feel about visiting the Tuileries Gardens?” Louis asked.

“Sure,” Harry agreed easily. “What is it exactly?”

“Just, like, a public garden so we can go there, maybe grab something to eat and have a bit of a picnic?”

Harry grinned, “that sounds so good.”

After a quick trip on the metro and a stop in a local shop to grab some sandwiches they found a relatively empty patch of grass to sit down in. As they sat down Harry had winced slightly and Louis had immediately gone to apologise before Harry shushed him again until had promised to stop worrying, at least verbally. The bustling noise created by the city and the many families around the park was still present but it drifted into the background as Louis and Harry quietly talked amongst themselves.

“What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you at school?” Louis asked.

“Well, maybe not weird, but I once had a girl projectile vomit over me while we were meant to be doing arts and crafts,” Harry told him.

“No way,” Louis laughed, “what did you do?”

“Not much I could do,” Harry told him with a grimace. “They gave me a new top to put on but they couldn’t wash the one that I had worn in so I had to literally run it under a tap and pile it into a plastic bag,” he explained. “And then I ended up having to get the bus back home and of course it just had to be footy season and right before a game was getting ready to start. So it was proper packed with all these fans and I had the smell of sick just, like, wafting out of my bag. Definitely not a fun experience,” Harry told him, a mix of both humour and suffering in his voice.

“No, doesn’t sound like it,” Louis sympathised. “What game?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Harry admitted, “think it was a big one though, they were all heading back from Old Trafford.”

Louis eyes widened in shock. “Wait,” Louis blinked, “you work in Manchester?” he asked, his voice full of incomprehensibility.

“Yeah,” Harry raised his eyebrows, “didn’t I tell you that?”

“No,” Louis replied, “you definitely didn’t.”

“Oh,” Harry shrugged, “well, I do.”

“Haz,” Louis paused. “I work in Manchester.”

Harry turned to him, his own eyes having grown larger. “Wait, what? I thought you worked with your mum back home?”

“No,” Louis shook his head, “she just introduced me to my work. Which I then followed to Manchester.”

“Holy shit,” Harry whispered, “we literally live in the same city?”

Louis laughed in disbelief, “well, I mean, along with a few other hundred thousands of other people but, yeah, shit I guess we do.”

“That’s crazy,” Harry said bluntly.

Louis agreed, “fuck. Yeah it is.”

“I wonder if we would have run into each other eventually,” Harry wondered aloud.

“Maybe,” Louis allowed, “I’m just glad we met at all to be honest. Whether here or back home.”

Harry hummed in agreement. “Gotta say though, meeting in Paris makes for a better story.”

“That’s true.”

They talked more about England, learning that they both lived in small flats with some of their mates only a half hour from each other. Louis wasn’t sure if he wanted to broach the topic of what would happen once they were back home. He knew that when they had agreed to stay in contact it had been before they had got together, if that was even what he could call it. Louis was so unsure about where they stood in Paris that he dreaded so much as asking about what would happen after their bubble was burst and they were dragged back into reality.

He was spared from his thoughts when Harry suddenly asked him something.

“What time is it?”

“Uh,” Louis checked his phone, “almost five. Why?”

“We should head back to the hotel,” Harry said as he began clearing up their rubbish.

“Wait, why?” Louis asked, “our reservation’s at half six. We’ve got ages.”

“Yeah, but I need to go back and change and stuff,” Harry explained.

“You look great how you are, love,” Louis replied, squinting against the sun as he looked at Harry who had moved to stand up.

“Thanks,” he smiled, “but I want to make a proper effort this time. I need to, like, woo you and all.”

“I consider myself already thoroughly wooed,” Louis pointed out, trying to hide his bashfulness as he took Harry’s outstretched hand and stood up.

“I want to make the effort,” Harry insisted.

“Right, yeah of course,” Louis said understandably, “we’ll go back now then.”

“Thanks,” Harry replied, pressing a kiss to Louis’ cheek.

Louis blushed slightly. “See? Already wooed,” he murmured, making Harry smile even larger.

By the time they reached the hotel they had just over half an hour before they needed to head out again if they wanted to be on time. Harry pressed a kiss to Louis’ startled lips before he pulled back.

“I’m going to get changed and you can’t come in,” Harry told him point blank.

Louis looked perplexed. “You’re not a bride on your wedding day, Haz. I’m allowed to see what you look like.”

“Nope,” Harry back away, “consider this payback for always insisting on surprising me. I’m just repaying the favour.” Harry had reached the bedroom door by the time Louis was speaking again

“Wait, how am I going to change?”

“Um,” Harry paused before he was sighing and making room for Louis to come in, “ok, I guess you can get your clothes but then you have to get changed in the bathroom.”

Louis laughed warmly, “I can’t believe I’m being kicked out of my own bedroom.”

“Technically,” Harry inserted as Louis walked in and began picking out his clothes, “the bedroom in the hotel. And let’s be real, I’ve slept in here just about as much as you have.”

Louis dug deep until he found the blazer his mother had insisted that he take with him ‘just in case’.  “I have one night more in here than you do,” Louis pointed out before he finished selecting his clothes.

Harry nudged him towards out again, “yeah, but I was literally just on the other side of this door,” Harry reminded him. He ushered Louis out of the bedroom completely. “And now you are,” he grinned. Before Louis could say anything Harry kissed him quickly again, “ok, now, go,” and with that was closing the door in Louis’ face.

Louis failed miserably at containing his fond smile. “Charming,” he said, just loud enough for Harry to hear and for Louis to pick up on his responding chuckle.

He made his way to the bathroom and freshened up again before changing. He had opted for his tight black skinny jeans and a plain white cotton shirt that he liked to think became semi-formal when paired with his fitted black jacket. He appraised himself in the bathroom mirror before setting about fixing his hair. His fingers paused in his hair for a second as something occurred to him. Harry and him were going out on a date, a proper formal dinner date in the bloody Eiffel Tower. He breathed deeply through his nose. Suddenly it didn’t matter that he had literally been eating every meal with Harry for the past week, he was filled with nerves for how the evening was going to pan out.

He looked at himself in the mirror sternly before he looked at his watch. He had fifteen more minutes to kill before they needed to be going. Not wanting to drive himself crazy by getting caught up in his thoughts he walked back into the open sitting room area and sat down on the sofa, taking his phone out and unlocking it. He sent a few snapchats to his sisters and text his mum a vague update. He hadn’t yet told her about the change in his and Harry’s relationship, partly because he didn’t want to deal with her no doubt incessant questioning but mostly because he was so unsure of what he would even tell her. All he knew was what he wanted Harry to be, now more than ever knowing how close they were to each other back home; but wanting something was certainly not the same as having it. He updated his social media and sent off a few cursory messages to his friends as he tried to distract himself from his nerves.

At five minutes to go Louis knocked on the bedroom door. “You ready?” he called through.

There was near silence behind the door which was partly why when it began to open Louis jumped slightly in shock.

Harry stood in front of him in a pale woodsy coloured shirt that opened at his neck down to his chest and had sleeves going just past his elbows. The shirt was inlaid with patterns of weaving vines and white flowers and was just loose enough on him to give the impression of movement to the images. He had coupled this with black skinny jeans that clung to his legs and left very little to the imagination. His face was clear, bright and happy and his hair was sculpted to fall freely down past his shoulder in soft waves.

“Harry,” Louis breathed out slowly, his voice impossible warm. He smiled softly and tried to collect himself. “You look so beautiful, love.”

“Thanks,” Harry smiled gently, his owns eyes raking over Louis’ appearance. “You do, too, y’know. You’re just a bit breath-taking.”

Louis smiled at the floor self-consciously at the sincerity and praise of Harry’s words.

Louis offered his arm to Harry. “Ready to be wined and dined?” he asked.

Harry linked their arms, a smile firmly in place on his face.

“Ready,” he promised.

~*~

Louis gently pulled the two of them to a halt just before they entered the restaurant. Harry turned to face him with a questioning expression.

“It’s under your name, babe,” Louis told him.

“What?” Harry’s brow creased further.

“The reservation,” Louis explained, “I placed it under your name.”

“Um, ok,” Harry said, still confused, “why?”

"Thought this could be something just for us, y'know?" Louis elaborated, “I wanted to do something for you that wasn’t marred by the ghosts of my past, basically.”

“Lou,” Harry breathed, his voice full of fondness. “Thank you.”

Louis tried to hide his own smile and shrugged. “You’re more than welcome.”

“Wait,” Harry paused, “how do you say we have a reservation in French?”

“Uh, I have no idea,” he took Harry’s hand in his, “I’m sure they’ll understand it in English though.”

“I know,” Harry nodded, “I just feel a bit of a twat for not knowing any French sometimes.”

“I know what you mean,” he reassured, “but I’m sure they’re very used to ignorant tourists.”

“True.”

As they approached the concierge Louis let Harry take the lead.

“Hi,” he smiled as he squeezed Louis’ hand in his, “we have a reservation under the name Styles. Harry Styles.”

The man checked their reservation list before he was smiling. “Right this way, sirs.”

He led them to a table that gave them a clear view of Paris in the early evening, so beautiful it caused Louis to catch his breath as they were both seated. They thanked the concierge for their menus before they were left to peruse what options were available. The dinner that Louis had booked for them included a starter, main and dessert along with a bottle of wine. After much debate they eventually placed their order under the agreement that they would both get to try each other’s.

Louis reached across the table and tugged at Harry's hand until he was able to hold it comfortably in the centre of their table. Harry in turn smiled at the sight between them as Louis swiped his thumb along Harry's knuckles rhythmically.

“So,” Louis started, “did I pick a good place or what?”

“You did,” Harry confirmed with a grin, “I mean, obviously, it’s the fucking Eiffel Tower, Louis.”

Louis felt his cheeks heat and he shrugged in what he hoped was a nonchalant way.

“Thought it’d be nice seeing as I kind of botched up our last attempt to get up here," he explained.

"You didn't botch it up," Harry corrected him with a pout on his lips.

"Kind of did. What with the not buying tickets and all. Anyway, doesn't matter." Louis shook his head before he smiled and turned up the charm, "how could I be here in Paris and not spend at least one candle lit dinner in the company of someone too beautiful for words?"

Despite the teasing tone to Louis' voice the sincerity that ran through the words was clear.

Harry smiled wider. "Oh, so this is all for you?” he teased. “I thought you said this was my treat?"

Louis grinned back, "don't hurt my feelings now, Haz. Are you not, too, on a beautiful date?"

Harry squeezed Louis' hand. "Sure am," he agreed readily. "And definitely a tick on the agenda for being joined by, what was the phrase you used? Someone too beautiful for words?"

Louis definitely felt a blush on his cheeks at that. Before he could formulate a proper response their starters were being brought to them, forcing them to disconnect their hands.

“Cream of mushroom?” the waiter asked politely.

Harry smiled at him, “that would be mine.”

“And the Parisian style prawns for you, sir,” the waiter said as he placed the other plate in front of Louis.

They both thanked him graciously before he left them alone again to enjoy their food. Louis raised his wine glass at Harry.

“Cheers,” he said, “I would make a speech but I’m pretty shit at them.”

Harry laughed. “How about just a sentiment then? To us and Paris?”

Louis felt the smile bloom across his face as he looked at Harry. “To us and Paris,” he agreed before clinking their glasses together.

They ate and chatted idly about their families and who they had been talking to back at home, all the while exchanging coy smiles and breathless laughs with each other. Louis knew with his whole heart that he wanted Harry in his life. He wanted Harry  to meet his family and friends, to have him show him his favourite restaurants and lend him his books, to wake up with him and share their smiles together. He wanted Harry for more than just Paris, he wanted Harry for home.

By the time they had moved onto their main courses Louis had realised that he didn’t want to live in uncertainty anymore. If he couldn’t be with Harry past the borders of Paris then he wanted to know about it then and there rather than later. He knew himself well enough to know that every hour he spent with Harry he found at least another twenty reasons to fall for him.

And that was why he found himself swallowing his fear and broaching the subject as he tried to convince himself that the risk would be worth it in the end.

“Haz?” he began, his throat already dry.

Harry himself seemed unaware of Louis’ inner turmoil having only seen the exterior show of emotion which had consisted largely of Louis smiling soppily at him from across the table with fondness and longing swimming in his eyes. Harry swallowed a bite of his salmon fillet before replying to Louis happily.

“Yeah?”

“Uh,” Louis swallowed, truly unsure of how he could go on. He wished he had planned this out better. “So, I think we should talk about when we’re back in Manchester.”

Harry’s eyes widened fractionally just before he dropped his gaze to the table, his actions suddenly becoming more self-contained as he picked at his fish.

“Oh, right,” he mumbled, “of course.”

“Harry?” Louis asked again, worry tinting his tone.

Harry lifted his eyes again and gave Louis a small smile. “Yeah, sorry. You were saying?”

Louis hesitated. “Right, well, uh,” he scrambled for words. Harry was looking straight back at him intently and all Louis could think about was how he could be jeopardising his future with the best person he had ever met just because he couldn’t get his act together. He pinched himself surreptitiously under the table, trying to regain focus. “Now that we know that we both live in Manchester and, uh, close to each other even, I was just thinking,” he trailed off again, nerves biting at his mind and freezing his vocabulary.

He swallowed thickly again and breathed out deeply. Harry was still looking at him and Louis could see the curiosity and trepidation in his eyes. That wasn’t all that he saw however. He could also see Harry. Harry who he had spent the past week with, who he had talked to for hours, laughed with, made horrible jokes with, cooked with and eaten with; he saw the man he had kissed, fucked and held in his arms as they had fallen asleep together. He saw Harry and the rest just followed from that.

“When we’re back home, I don’t want to stop seeing you, Haz,” he told him honestly, his voice gentle and clear. “I know it sort of sounds ridiculous but I don’t want to lose you when we leave. I still want to,” he laughed, “wine and dine you around Manchester, which, sure isn’t exactly as exciting as Paris but that’s not the point.” He smiled at Harry again. “I want to keep seeing you, Harry. I want to go out with you and, actually, no. Fuck that,” he stopped himself. “I want to properly date you. Like, I want to be your boyfriend and to be a couple with you. And do all the stupid coupley things that go along with that.” He swallowed, “and I know that’s a lot to ask seeing as we’ve only known each other a week, but, I just _know_ that this is what I want.” He sighed, “I guess, I just want to know, if that’s something that you want to?” he rounded off with the loaded question.

Louis could see Harry breathing deeply across from him with the remains of shock playing across his face. Louis was, however, largely focused on the small smiling tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Lou,” Harry eventually whispered before he spoke up although his voice remained just as soft. “You have no idea how much I want that too.”

“Really?” Louis found himself checking as excitement burst happily through his veins. “You want that?”

“Fuck, yes,” Harry replied as his full smile finally broke out across his face. “Holy fuck, yes, I want that!”

Louis grinned joyously as he threw his head back and smiled blindingly upwards before he was returning his gaze back to Harry.

“I would totally get up and kiss you right now,” Louis spoke past his grin, “but people would probably assume that I’d just proposed and, well, that’s a whole lot of drama that we don’t need to deal with right now.”

Harry laughed giddily and shook his head, his hair falling down and sweeping the top of the table. “I can forgive that,” he promised before biting his lip, “you can make up for it tonight anyway.”

“Fuck,” Louis breathed. “Deal.”

They sat there smiling stupidly at each other for far longer than considered socially acceptable, both uncaring of what the rest of the world thought of them.

“I was kinda worried that you were about to ditch me for a second there,” Harry admitted as he broke the silence.

“What?” Louis asked, stunned. “Why would you think that?”

Harry shrugged. “You were being so serious and I wasn’t sure where you were going with it.”

“Why would I bring you here to tell you that I didn’t want you?” Louis questioned, completely incredulous. “More than that, even, why on earth would you think that I didn’t want you?”

“I don’t know!” Harry laughed, “I didn’t really, I just wasn’t really thinking properly. I mean I was just so unsure. It’s not like I’ve ever been in a situation like this before.”

That, Louis could understand. “I know,” he agreed emphatically, “I was kinda shitting myself about what we were gonna do.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Harry told him confidently, “I’m sure we’ll figure it all out.”

“Yeah, yeah we will,” Louis said quietly.

“Now that we’re boyfriends?” Harry asked, a grin on his face.

Louis felt his own face mirror his. “Now that we’re boyfriends,” he confirmed.

By the time that they had moved onto dessert and Louis was spearing his last profiterole from their shared plate before plopping it into his mouth any tension between them had dissipated leaving behind only a soft and comfortable atmosphere between them. That was until it was time to pay for the meal.

“Absolutely not, no way.” Louis’ voice was firm.

“But, Lou-” Harry started to protest.

“No,” Louis insisted firmly, “I didn’t invite you out to dinner to make you pay for half of it, Haz. What kind of date do you take me for?”

“One who’s in his twenties and on a budget?” Harry offered, a hesitant smile on his face.

Louis faltered. “Ok, true. But!” he picked himself up again, “this is my treat for you, Haz. Plus if you pay then I won’t have bragging rights for saying that I brought you to the Eiffel Tower for our first proper date,” he finished with a coy smirk.

Harry laughed freely, bringing on hand up to cover his mouth.

“Ok, you win,” Harry conceded, “I have no idea how I’m going to top this in the future though.”

“I have one idea for how you could top me,” Louis said with a delicate smirk on his face and innocent blinking eyes.

Harry’s face froze with his mouth open before a smile began to spread across his face slowly, pure jubilance in his tone. “You did not just say that.”

“What?” Louis asked guilelessly.

“Oh my god,” Harry laughed loudly and throwing his head back before declaring, “I was just sexually propositioned in the freaking Eiffel Tower!”

“Geez, could you say that any louder, Haz?” Louis grinned at him before he caught eyes with an older woman from across the room with a grimace marring her face. He too then raised his voice, “I don’t think that judgemental couple in the corner quite heard you,” he finished with his eyebrows raised in challenge.

Harry only shook his head fondly. “Forget about them,” he said calmly, “they’re just sad because they’re not sitting across from a hot piece of ass like we are.”

If Louis laughed maybe a little louder than was strictly necessary then, really, Harry was the only one who needed to know that.

~*~

As they walked out of the Tower with their hands linked together, Harry swung them happily.

"My turn to take you somewhere now," he declared cheerfully.

“What? Where?” Louis asked, his forehead furrowed but a smile still present on his lips.

“You’ll see,” Harry teased as he began leading Louis off.

When they only kept on drawing near and nearer to the hotel Louis couldn’t help himself from speaking up anymore.

“Haz,” he started, “is this all some elaborate ploy to get me back into bed?”

Harry laughed freely and then gasped. “Louis! How could you think so lowly of me?”

Louis tugged playfully on his hand from where they were still linked between them. “Well, you are literally taking me back to the hotel, love.”

“No,” Harry argued as he held the door open for Louis and ushered him inside. He took his hand again and walked away from the lifts, instead heading across the expansive ground floor. He stopped and turned to face Louis.

"Happy weekiversary!" Harry proclaimed in an excited voice, perhaps a little too enthusiastic.

"Weekiversary?" Louis raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, weekiversary." Harry confirmed seriously.

“Love, I know I said I wanted all that coupley shit but isn’t this, like, a bit far?” he teased fondly .

"Shut up, we won’t celebrate every week. Just this week, because,” he raised his voice in anticipation, “Louis Tomlinson, a week ago I met you," Harry grabbed his shoulders and shuffled the both of them over to the bar. "I met you exactly here," he proclaimed with a large smile.

Louis was absolutely smitten towards Harry as that was the only explanation for how he could feel his eyes light up and the warmth spread in his stomach.

“You giant sap,” he announced affectionately and then whispered conspiratorially, “I love it.”

Harry grinned even further as he swung their hands and made their way to the bar, sitting in the exact seats that they had on that first night together. Their night then proceeded to follow much the same as their first had only this time there were no miserable confessions only drinking and laughing together as they flirted shamelessly.

"I am so glad that I met you, Harry Styles," Louis declared, his voice elevated from the alcohol. "Wait, no, glad isn't enough,” he interrupted himself. “I am lucky to have met you! Honoured! Blessed! So fucking thankful!"

Harry had giggled almost hysterically through the second part of his sentence, his own inhibitions lowered by inebriation.

“I am, too. You’re pretty fucking rad,” he told him.

"You're the best thing that could have happened to me on this trip, Hazzie," Louis declared gleefully, a grin plastered on his face.

"You're really drunk, Louie." Harry frowned, "wait no that doesn't work because your name is Louis which, I mean, literally _is_ Louie." He bit his bottom lip, an expression of distress clear on his face. "Loulie?"  he ventured, nervously nibbling his teeth on the flesh of his lips.

Louis beamed impossibly wider.

"You're drunk, Hazzold!"

“So are you,” Harry defended himself with a giggle. His eyes widened suddenly, “take a picture with me, Lou!”

Without question Louis got up and flung himself over Harry’s back so that his head poked over his shoulder and he squished their faces as close together as possible as he grinned dumbly at Harry’s phone.

Harry took the picture and from his vantage point Louis could see him open up his Instagram app and select the photo they had just taken before he began playing around with the different filters and fixing the lighting. Louis rested his chin on Harry’s shoulder as he watched him in slight confusion.

“What you doing, Haz?”

“Posting this photo,” Harry replied happily. He turned to Louis and smiled at him. “Duh.”

Louis jabbed him lightly in the ribs making him grumble quietly in complaint, so he chose to wrap his arm around his waist instead.

“Yeah, but, won’t it ruin your aesthetic?”

Harry’s lips quirked up as he replied without taking his eyes off of his phone, “worth it.”

Louis felt heat blooming in his chest from that and so he contented himself with drawing small circles into the dip of Harry’s waist with his hand as he lay his head against Harry’s shoulder and listened to the quiet tapping of his fingers against his screen.

“What are you going to caption it, love?”

Instead of verbally replying Harry just turned his screen to face Louis so that he could clearly read what Harry had typed out: ‘Loulie and Hazzold’

Louis pressed a secret smile against the skin of Harry’s neck.

“You need to add a hashtag,” he commented happily.

“No I don’t,” Harry argued.

“Yes you do, it’ll be well funny.”

Harry turned his head so that he could see Louis better. “What of?” he asked in confusion.

“Hashtag boyfs.” Louis replied with certainty.

Harry paused.

“If my mum sees that she’ll kill me for not telling her first.”

“Is she on Instagram often?” Louis questioned.

“She has notification on for me,” Harry explained with a frown.

Louis frowned along with him before he gasped exaggeratedly. “Oh my god and what if our sisters see?”

Harry’s head cocked to the side in thought for a few seconds before he replied, trying to maintain a straight face.

“Paris the thought!”

“Haz,” Louis moaned gently against his neck.

“Sorry,” Harry replied chirpily without a hint of regret in his.

“You’re not sorry at all.”

Harry grinned. “Damn you caught me.” He held up his phone for inspection, “ok, no hashtag necessary I think.”

“Fine,” Louis pouted, “can we go upstairs now?”

“Of course,” Harry replied as he stood up which turned out to be a bit of a struggle for both of them as Harry teetered slightly to the side and Louis suddenly found that he had to support his own weight.

Nonetheless they both made it up to their suite in one piece and fumbled their way through their night time routines.

Once they were settled under the covers both of their eyes were heavy from their day together as they lay wrapped up in each other.

Harry sighed deeply and contently against Louis’ chest. “Fuck, Lou, I want to fall asleep like this always.”

“Me too,” Louis responded quietly as he held Harry tight and pressed a kiss to his hair. “That would be a nice life,” he muttered softly before falling asleep, Harry safe in his arms.

 

> ** Day Nine **

Louis woke up to the press of insistent lips against his cheek and if he didn’t know any better then he would have claimed that there was definite nuzzling involved. The lips touched his cheek again, this time coupled with a soft voice.

“Lou?” Harry whispered, “Lou, are you gonna get up yet? It’s getting kinda late.”

Louis only grumbled lowly in response and turned roughly to face Harry.

“I feel like shit,” he said simply.

Harry laughed and Louis groaned in response until he stifled his giggled to an acceptable volume.

“Sorry,” Harry whispered. “So,” he hedged, “what do you want to do today?”

“Nothing,” Louis responded promptly, closing his eyes resolutely to make his point.

All that resulted in was the press of Harry’s wet lips against his eyelids this time. He swatted him carelessly away with a tired hand which Harry caught easily in his own and threaded their fingers together.

“Lou?” he asked again, his voice light and teasing.

“Ugh,” Louis groaned and cracked his eyes open again to peer at Harry. “I don’t know. Can’t we just stay in bed?”

A smile tugged at Harry’s lips. “Yeah, ok,” he agreed before flopping down dramatically next to Louis, pulling their joint hands to rest on top of his chest.

Louis moaned softly as the bed bounced, “Haz, please. I’m delicate.”

Harry laughed quietly at that. “Sure you are, babe.”

Louis hummed quietly and closed his eyes again. To his credit Harry lasted all of about ten seconds before he was bumping his shoulder into Louis’.

“I’m bored, Lou. You’re not interesting when you’re pretending to be unconscious.”

“I wasn’t pretending,” Louis grumbled, although a smile was beginning to play at the corners of his mouth.

Harry rolled onto his side so that he had a better view of Louis. “Do you actually want to stay in bed?” he questioned, his voice showing the beginnings of worry.

Louis squeezed his eyes shut tightly one last time before he opened them fully and smiled weakly at Harry.

“Nah, it’s alright I’ll get up. I’ve definitely had worse hangovers I’m just being a bit dramatic really.”

“You, dramatic? Never,” Harry joked before he sobered up again. “Do you want some water?” he asked, his voice steeped in concern as he untangled their hands and let Louis sit up.

“Oi, I’m never dramatic,” Louis complained. “And yes please to the water.”

“Coming right up, Mr. completely-undramatically-declaring-his-feelings-in-the-Eiffel-Tower,” Harry countered as he all but bounced out of the room.

“That name would never pass the paperwork, love,” Louis shouted as loudly as he dared after Harry’s retreating figure.

Harry’s laughter could be heard echoing around the hallway.

Louis busied himself with flinging the covers off and tentatively stepping out of the bed and placing his feet on the solid ground. If he was being honest with himself he knew that the worst of it would pass soon enough and that he should quit complaining. If he were being even more honest, however, then he would admit that he rather enjoyed the idea of having Harry flit around trying to make him feel better. He shook his head gently and stood up jjust in time for Harry to re-enter the room, glass in hand.

“Here you go,” he said softly as he handed it to Louis.

“Thanks,” Louis replied, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a few large gulps of the cool water.

It was then that Harry opened the curtains, causing Louis to wince at the incoming flood of light.

“Ah, Haz, please have mercy.”

“Sorry,” he apologised as he drew the curtains shut again.

“Thanks,” Louis shot a smile at him.

Harry grinned. “So, like, merci for my mercy?”

Louis smiled weakly give him a thumbs up. “Good joke, love.”

Harry’s brow creased. “Oh, shit. You must really be feeling under the weather.” He walked up to Louis and pressed his hand against his forehead and ignored the withering look Louis was giving him. “Do you want to eat something? I mean it’s kinda late for breakfast but I know how much you were into lupper so you’d probably be down with brunch,” Harry rambled.

“Dunch,” Louis corrected weakly.

“Whatever,” Harry laughed, “anyway I think that we have some fruit around here somewhere.”

“Sure,” Louis agreed easily, stepping out of Harry’s reach.

Harry simply blew his a kiss in return before he walked out of the bedroom with a swing in his hips. Louis didn’t even bother from holding himself back from staring.

After he had made his way through a shower and getting dressed for the day Louis was already feeling a lot perkier which is why upon entering the kitchen area the first thing he did was wrap his arms around Harry’s shoulders and reached up on his tiptoes to press a kiss against his temple.

Harry grinned and tightened his own hold around Louis’ middle. “Feeling better?” he asked.

“Much,” Louis affirmed with a quick peck to his lips, “thank you.”

“Of course,” Harry smiled as he untangled one of his arms and reached out to the counter. “I found a banana for you,” he said as he presented the aforementioned fruit with pride in front of Louis’ face.

“That’s good,” Louis commented, “because I’m bananas about you,” and with that he picked the fruit straight out of Harry’s hand and with one last kiss against his curved lips he ducked out of his hold and leaned casually against the counter.

“Lou, you just told a really, really bad joke,” he pressed his hand to his heart and pretended to stutter, “I’ve- I’ve never been prouder,” he finished with swiping his hand under his eye.

Louis talked over his mouthful of banana, “and you call me dramatic.”

Harry was on the verge of complaining before he stopped himself. “Yeah, ok, you can have that one,” he admitted.

Louis grinned as he finished off his banana. “Thanks, babe. I most definitely won’t hold it over your head. No way.”

Harry rounded on him and trapped him against the counter, his arms either side of Louis’ body.

“That’s good,” Harry blinked innocently, “seeing as you can’t reach above my head.”

Louis’ mouth hung open in contention. “How very dare you, Harold.”

Harry shrugged and bit his lip. “Sorry?” he offered.

“Make it up to me,” Louis demanded playfully. His hands were already travelling up and down Harry’s sides, rucking up his shirt and smoothing his palms along the skin that was revealed.

Harry smiled once more before he leaned in to kiss him only to find that Louis pulled away at the last second.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked dumbly.

“I’ll taste like banana,” Louis complained lightly although he made no move to step out of Harry’s arms.

“I like banana,” Harry reassured him, “and I really like you. So, can I kiss you now?”

Louis sighed, long and weary. “If you insist,” he answered before he closed the gap between them himself and joined their smiling lips together.

Louis held Harry tight against him by the small of his back as they kissed. Feeling Harry’s lips moving against his own and the solid warmth of him in his arms filled Louis with a kind of contentment that he had never felt before. He could feel Harry’s soft and happy laugh against his mouth and his arms coming to wrap around his torso.

“I love kissing you,” Louis whispered between them.

“Yeah?” Harry asked.

“Fuck yeah,” Louis replied and confirmed it with another small kiss. “Could kiss you forever,” he mumbled softly.

“Might get tired then,” Harry pointed out.

“Nope,” Louis replied, punctuating it with another kiss. “Couldn’t get tired of this,” he smiled gently at Harry.

“Sap.” Harry grinned. He looped his arms firmly around Louis’ neck. “And just for the record, I’d never get tired either.”

“Hmm, we’ve quite the predicament there then don’t we?” Louis stated. “If we won’t get tired of kissing, how will we ever stop?”

“Who says we have to?” Harry countered a teasing lilt to his voice.

“Oh just pesky things like societal conventions.”

Harry hummed thoughtfully, “yeah, fuck that.”

He leaned down and kissed Louis again, his fingers tangling themselves in the hair at the nape of his neck

“Mmm,” Louis hummed contentedly, “gonna kiss you forever.”

“Admittedly,” Harry broke apart, “that might be a little impractical.”

Louis laughed. “How about a compromise then?”

Harry’s thumb stroked rhythmically along the back of Louis neck.

“Ok,” he replied fondly, “how about we can kiss whenever and wherever from now on? Y’know, spread your forever kisses out over time and collect them that way.”

“That does sound like sensible debt management,” Louis nodded.

“I am very sensible,” Harry agreed, “although I’m not sure if we can call it debt when it’s mutually wanted.”

“So you want my forever kisses, Styles?”

“Fuck yeah.”

Louis hovered his lips centimetres from Harry’s, teasing him.

“Last warning, Haz, you’re signing yourself up for an awful lot of kisses here.”

“So are you,” Harry replied.

“I’m prepared to make the sacrifice,” Louis told him solemnly.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Just hurry up and give me my forever kisses, Tomlinson.”

“Anything for you, love,” he grinned before sealing their lips together.

They kissed leisurely together pressed against the kitchen counter, both simply enjoying having the other so close. Louis couldn’t say how much time had passed by the time they finally separated but his lips were slightly numb and Harry’s shirt had creases in it that neither of them could smooth out from where Louis had grabbed and held it.

Eventually after having a slightly more substantial breakfast they ended up lounging on the sofa as Louis finished off another glass of water with his feet in Harry’s lap and they both checked their phones.

It was after Louis had replied to messages from his family and commented several specifically picked emojis on Harry’s Instagram from last night that he put down his phone and noticed what was lying right next to them.

“Haz,” Louis began as he held up the object for him to see, “I think that this may be the very cushion that started it all.”

Harry looked his way with his forehead furrowed and took the cushion from Louis’ hands to look at it properly.

“No way,” he shook his head, “how can you remember that?”

Louis smirked, “I don’t know, I guess that there’s just something about a cherub faced man smelling your cushions that really sticks with you, y’know?”

Harry laughed at that before his eyes suddenly filled with hope.

“Do you think we can sneak it out?” he asked.

“Could we?” Louis asked with equal excitement in his voice, “do you think it would fit in our luggage?”

“Yeah, totally,” Harry enthused with a grin. “They wouldn’t even notice it was gone, I’d bet.”

“Wait,” Louis frowned, “maybe they would. I mean, it’s probably proper expensive innit?”

“It’s just a cushion, Lou,” Harry pointed out with a poorly hidden smile on his face, “surely it can’t be that expensive.”

“I dunno,” Louis shrugged, “I wouldn’t put it past this place. It’s probably hand weaved by, like, saints and, I dunno, anointed with rose petal and gold extract of some shit like that.”

Harry laughed, “that would explain why it smells so good.” He threw the cushion towards Louis, “so, no to stealing the expensive cushion?”

“Afraid not,” Louis said while stuffing said cushion behind his head again, “it’s probably bad form.”

“True,” Harry acquiesced before he changed the topic, “so, do you actually want to do anything today?”

“Not really,” Louis shrugged, “how about we do whatever you want to do today?”

“Alright,” Harry smiled, “I have an idea.”

Ten minutes later found them both enjoying the comfort of their bed, watching reruns of the same reality show that they had found before.

“I like the way you think, Haz,” Louis said from where he was reclined back lazily among the sheets.

“I do have pretty good ideas,” Harry told him from where he lay next to him with his shirt already removed which was proving to be a very tempting distraction for Louis.

“Do you think the staff will judge us for not leaving the suite?” Louis wondered aloud.

“Maybe,” Harry said, “but I put the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door so at least we’ll only have to face their judgement tomorrow.”

Louis laughed at that as he crossed his feet together and leaned further back into the pillows, settling himself down comfortably.

They watched comfortably together for three episodes, sharing their opinions and at times dubbing their own voices over what they thought the people were saying. It was only when the fourth episode was about to start that Harry spoke up.

“Babe?” he asked.

Louis turned to face him as he answered with a fond smile on his lips at his use of the endearment. “Yeah?”

“I was just wondering,” Harry began, “seeing as we’re already here and all, if we could make use of the bed?”

He had said the line so flippantly that Louis allowed himself a few seconds of shock before responding.

“I thought we already were,” he said simply, raising his eyebrows.

Harry wiggled his eyebrows, “I mean for more recreational purposes.”

Louis couldn’t help but laugh at Harry’s ridiculous display of supposed seduction and at the fact that somehow it was working on him. He turned off the television.

“Well aren’t you Mr. Insatiable?” he teased.

“I prefer Monsieur Thirst actually,” Harry quipped back.

Louis grinned as he finally pulled Harry closer to him. “You’re so fucking weird,” he told him.

Harry laughed. “Well, you’re the one who promised me your forever kisses so what does that say about you?”

“I guess,” Louis smiled, “you’re just my kind of weird.”

Unable to hold himself back any longer he began to trace his fingers delicately up and down Harry’s subtle abs as he admired how soft his skin was.

“Your stomach is literally perfect, Harry,” he told him seriously as he scooted down the bed to be at eye level with his stomach.

Harry laughed. “Thanks, I made it myself and everything.”

“Weirdo,” Louis whispered against the skin of his abdomen.

“Now would be a good time to tell me if you have a belly button fetish or something,” Harry chirped up.

Louis raised his head to look at him and give him a perplexed look. “I don’t,” he promised.

“You can tell me, Lou. We’ll work something out,” Harry returned, his voice holding a tell-tale teasing edge to it. “I’m sure I could stomach it.”

“Shut up,” Louis laughed as he promptly blew a giant raspberry on Harry’s stomach, causing his legs to kick up and a shriek to leave his mouth. “Wow,” Louis grinned, “I did not think you would react that strongly.”

Harry pouted at him, “I was taken by surprise.”

“Sure, love,” Louis played along as he moved up the bed to face Harry more fully, “it’s definitely not because you’re sensitive or ticklish there or anything.”

“I sure hope not seeing as I want to get a tattoo there some day,” Harry told him casually.

Louis’ eyes widened. “You want a tattoo on your stomach?” he questioned. “Of what?”

“A butterfly,” Harry told him simply, “as soon as I have enough money saved up I’m going to get it.”

“You want a butterfly on your stomach,” Louis asked him in slight disbelief.

“Yep,” Harry confirmed, “like the saying.”

“You’re,” Louis struggled for his words, “you’re just one of a kind aren’t you?”

“Aren’t we all,” Harry replied in a painfully false wistful voice. “We’re all individual and unique snowflakes.” He suddenly grinned, “I should totally get a snowflake tattoo.”

“No,” Louis laughed, “no you shouldn’t.”

“I’m sure you’ll warm up to the idea,” Harry told him, “and stop being so frosty.”

Louis groaned. “You’re killing the vibe again, love.”

“Hey,” Harry laughed as he gently pushed at Louis shoulder, “good jokes never ruin the sexy vibe.”

“I don’t know who’s been telling you that, Harry, but I need you to know that they were lying.”

“Ah,” Harry stopped him, “but whoever this hypothetical person is, they’re not you. Because you totally dig my jokes.”

“Did you just?” Louis paused in shock. “I haven’t heard someone use the word dig unironically for years, Haz.”

“Clearly you don’t hang out with anyone as cool as me then.”

“I guess you can decide that for yourself when we’re back home and you meet everyone,” Louis pointed out.

“Yeah?” Harry questioned. “I’ll get to meet all your uncool friends?”

“Definitely,” Louis guaranteed, “and they’ll get to meet you, my lame boyfriend.”

“Oi, you can’t say that” Harry complained around his smile, “besides, you’re the one who’s actually dating the said lame boyfriend.”

“Fuck yes I am.”

Louis couldn’t even find it in himself to argue anymore instead allowing the incredibly self-satisfied smile to take over his face instead.

Harry rolled his eyes at that. “Can we stop with the banter now and actually get on with the sex?”

“You make it sound so romantic,” Louis replied dryly although his tone remained soft.

“Sorry,” Harry grinned, “let me try again.” He started to talk in a flimsy voice, “oh, Louis, with your blue blue eyes and pretty cheekbones please, oh please, take me to bed before I literally combust from sexual frustration,” he finished by completely breaking character to give Louis a pointed look.

All Louis could do was laugh and kiss him. “So dramatic,” he whispered against his lips, “but anything for you, love.”

Before Harry could respond properly and no doubt send them into yet another tangent Louis sealed their lips together hotly and kissed Harry deeply. Harry gasped a little in surprise but was more than happy to respond eagerly as he kissed Louis and held him tightly.

“Is the vibe back?” Harry asked between kisses.

“Vibey vibe,” Louis mumbled in confirmation as he reached for Harry’s jeans and started to undo the button.

“Vibe never left, let’s be real,” Harry pointed out as he too began working on removing Louis’ clothes.

“Fine,” Louis admitted as he pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s lips, “I love your stupid jokes. Happy now?”

“Exceptionally,” Harry grinned back at him as he finally managed to work Louis’ shirt off.

They continued to exchange kisses between them varying them from hot, deep and long to quick presses of their lips as they undressed each other completely. Harry ran his hands over Louis’ body before he collected him in his arms and rolled onto his back so that Louis lay on top of him so that they touched from their chests down to their thighs.

“Hi there,” he whispered above him

“Hi,” Harry replied, equally as softly.

Louis kissed him gently, pushing their lips together and hoping that Harry could feel from it just how cherished he was. Their kissing evoked a stirring in both of their cocks as Louis moaned lightly at the sensation and ground his hips down lightly.

He then lifted his hips and moved onto his knees so that they pressed into Harry’s sides and his arse was lifted in the air. From where he was spread out on his knees above him Louis could feel Harry’s hands travelling his body, smoothing over his sides and back until they came to a stop on his arse. He moaned lightly into Harry’s mouth as he groped at him and spread his cheeks apart, his finger pressing lightly against Louis’ hole. Louis in return moaned loudly and pressed back against the pressure, having to break their lips apart to pant deeply above Harry.

“Lube,” he spluttered, “we need lube.”

“S’in the drawer,” Harry told him without caring to move his hands away.

Louis stretched and reached over to their bedside table and yanked the drawer open. He fumbled around with shaking fingers until he finally found a condom and the bottle and proceeded to all but hurled them at Harry.

Harry retrieved the lube from where it had landed on the bed and popped the cap open only to be interrupted by Louis climbing back on top of him.

“Wait,” he paused, “did you want me to get towels?”

“Louis,” Harry told him seriously, “if you think for even one second that I’m going to let you leave this bed then you have a big surprise in store for you.”

“S’not a surprise, Haz, I’ve already seen your dick,” Louis quipped back.

Harry’s eyes lit up happily as he laughed and threw his head back against the pillow. “Thanks, Lou, my dick appreciates it.”

“Of course,” Louis replied graciously, “anything to keep it happy.”

“You know what would make it happy?” Harry questioned teasingly.

“If we stopped talking and actually got on with it?” Louis offered.

“Got it in one, babe,” Harry grinned at him as he squirted some lube on his fingers and rubbed them together.

Louis smiled back at him briefly before he could help himself no longer and was kissing Harry again, tangling his fingers in his hair and pulling gently.

Harry moaned low and wonton beneath him before Louis felt his slippery fingers pressing back at his entrance again.

Louis gasped as soon as he felt the tip of Harry’s finger slipping into him leaving him breathing hotly directly above Harry’s mouth. Harry captured his lips again as he pushed his finger in further, massaging it slowly until it was buried down to the knuckle.

Louis was struggling to catch his breath as he pushed back on the finger, silently asking for more. Harry complied as Louis felt the tip of another wet digit joining the first and working its way into him. He continued to finger him gently as they exchanged kisses and breath between them, not wanting to pull away from each other for even a second.

Harry began to push up from the bed so that he was no longer lying but instead sitting up with Louis straddling his lap, all of which was accomplished without once taking his fingers out of where they were buried inside of Louis.

Louis gasped and ground down harder on Harry’s fingers, his own buried deep in Harry’s hair and tugging gently at it in time with the movement of his hips.

Harry brought his free and dry hand up to Louis’ face and cupped his cheek lovingly as he connected their lips again.

Louis had never had sex in a position as intimate as this before but with Harry it felt right, he wanted to see every expression pass across his face, to hear every draw of breath and feel every shift of his muscles. He kissed Harry deeply and passionately with his arms flung firmly around his neck to keep them together for as long as possible.

Eventually they pulled back and Harry took his fingers out of Louis and wiped them carelessly on the sheets beneath them as Louis reached over the bed to collect the condom he had thrown on it earlier.

Harry had moved his hands to rest on the small of Louis’ back, pressing there tightly with hunger in his eyes as Louis tore open the wrapping.

Louis kissed him once more before he rolled the condom onto Harry’s length and squirted some lube into his hand and pumped him slowly and purposefully. Harry himself had closed his eyes and had his mouth agape as he felt the pleasure course through him and Louis couldn’t help but lean forward and suck gently on his neck. Harry groaned more fully and tightened his hold on Louis, his thumbs sweeping up and down against his hot skin.

Louis detached from where he had left a mark against Harry’s neck and shifted his legs slightly to straddle Harry more fully.

“Lie down again,” Louis requested quietly, pushing at Harry’s chest.

Harry obeyed and lay down again, moving his hands to grip firmly on to Louis’ waist as he settled himself comfortably above him. Harry then reached between them and guided his cock to Louis’ entrance, allowing the blunt pressure to press against it.

“Ready?” Harry questioned, his voice low and hot as he whispered.

Louis leant forward and kissed him again, short and loving, as he answered. “Yeah, yeah I’m ready.”

He sat upright again and positioned himself properly for Harry. A long drawn out breath was pulled from his lips as he felt Harry breaching his hole.

“Shit,” he whispered as he lowered himself even further, feeling Harry fill him more and more until he thought it impossible to keep on going.

Harry himself was panting hot breaths into the air between them and the grip that he had on Louis’ waist was surely tight enough to leave a mark.

Feeling Harrys cock filling him up left Louis short of breath as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the feelings that he was experiencing. It didn’t take long for him to miss the sight of Harry however and so he opened his eyes to see Harry beneath him with a thin covering of sweat over his body and a wrecked look to his eyes.

Louis ground down until he was sitting down on Harry completely and being filled to the brim by his cock causing him to swear again. He swivelled his hips in a way that made Harry’s cock touch all the right places inside of him as he delighted in being about to feel Harry’s responding groan from where his hands had come to rest atop his stomach.

He raised himself slowly before lowering back down, keeping a steady pace as they both adjusted to the new sensations. Louis flicked his hair out of his face as he rose again before slamming back down causing Harry to whimper loudly. Louis raised himself again, feeling the drag of Harry inside of him and the heat pooling between them before he rocked himself back down again.

From then on Louis picked up a more constant pace as he worked himself up and down Harry’s cock, leaving the man beneath him looking absolutely destroyed from his actions. Harry had begun shaking beneath him and gripping Louis tighter as he moved up and down until his hips suddenly moved involuntarily and bucked up into Louis causing them both to cry out in pleasure.

They moved together this way growing steadily more desperate and less precise in their movements until suddenly Harry was picking Louis up by the back of his thighs and catapulting the two of the backwards so that Louis had landed on his back with his arms moving immediately to lock around Harry’s neck and his legs left in the air with Harry between them. Without giving any time to allow Louis to recover from the shock Harry was ploughing into him roughly as they both gasped loudly and groaned together. He let one of Louis’ legs go in order to reach between them and stroke Louis’ cock in time with his thrusts.

It was enough to push Louis almost instantly over the edge as he came between them with a choke, his fingers digging into Harry’s broad back as he continued to gasp through his orgasm. Harry only needed to thrust a couple more times into Louis’ warm body before he was burying himself deep inside and groaning low in pleasure.

Louis only had a couple of seconds to take in the sight of Harry through his fuzzy eyes before his mouth was pushing hot and insistent on his equal parts claiming and loving. Harry let his grip on Louis’ legs fall as he brought one hand up to hold his face and the other to wrap around his waist as he kissed him.

As Louis’ legs dropped back down against the mattress he could feel Harry slipping out of him and his quiet moan at the loss was lost in Harry’s mouth.

Harry was surrounding him everywhere and he felt completely encompassed by his very presence. They had both adjusted so that Harry was lying on top of him and Louis had let his legs fall flat to give his poor thighs a rest. Their lips were still moving together although their kisses had changed to become more gentle and sweet as they both came down from their orgasms.

Eventually Harry pulled up from Louis mouth long enough to whisper, “holy fuck,” between them before he was kissing him again. Louis’ laugh was caught up in their kissing but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

There weren’t really any words that needed to be exchanged between them, not when they held each other so closely and smiled against one another’s lips in the way that they did.

~*~

After they had eventually dragged themselves out of bed to clean themselves off and clumsily order some room service they found themselves piled together on the sofa in only their underwear.

“Why’d you have so many rings?” Louis asked gently as he played with Harry’s hand in his own and inspected the various pieces of jewellery on it.

“They’re mostly presents,” Harry explained as he flexed his fingers and twisted them around Louis’ own, “like from my mum and other people.”

Louis hummed. “That’s sweet of them.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed softly.

From where Harry was lying tucked behind Louis he could see the side of his face and how his eyebrows had furrowed slightly and there was the tiniest pout on his lips. He squeezed the hand that he was still holding.

“You ok?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, sorry,” Louis dismissed with a small smile, “I just wish I had enough money to buy you really nice things too,” he turned around in Harry arms to grin at him, “I could get you some sick rings from Claire’s Accessories if you want?”

Harry frowned a little and pressed a quick kiss against Louis’ lips. “I don’t need you to get me anything,” he reminded him.

“I know that,” Louis told him, “but I still want to.”

Harry smiled gently at him. “For what it’s worth I would totally love a ring from Claire’s.”

“Wait,” Louis frowned although a smile was playing on his lips, “you wouldn’t dump me on the spot?”

“Hell no,” Harry enthused, “I’d wear that plastic ring meant for tween girls like no one’s business and tell everyone that it was a designer piece that my boyfriend gave me just to fuck with them.”

Louis laughed happily at that and shook his head.

“Harry Styles, where have you been all my life?”

“In the wrong place apparently.”

Harry’s smile grew and he pulled their hands gently until Louis was lying on his back which then enabled Harry to move and lie on top of him.

“Anyway,” he continued, “who needs gifts bought with money when you give me the gift of ridiculously hot sex? I’d take that over jewellery any day.”

Louis laughed fully at that and wrapped his arms more securely around Harry on top of him.

“I can definitely provide that for you then, whenever you want,” Louis promised, his thumbs stroking soft patterns into the small of Harry’s back.

“I’ll hold you to that, Lou, don’t think I won’t,” Harry grinned down at him.

“Counting on it,” Louis smiled back at him.

With a light chuckle Harry was lowering himself down so that he could press a soft kiss to Louis’ lips. When he tried to pull back Louis made a low noise of complaint and pulled him tighter against him so that he could continue to kiss him and move their lips together softly.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“That would be our food,” Harry realised as he detangled himself and got up off of the sofa.

“Are you going to put any clothes on?” Louis asked with laughter in his voice as Harry moved towards the door with only his boxers on still.

“Nope,” he replied with a cheeky grin cast over his shoulder before he opened the door.

Louis rolled his eyes as he sat up and walked to their bedroom to at least find a pair of joggers to put on. When he re-emerged from the bedroom he was greeted with the sight of a woman who was wearing the hotel staff uniform and a high blush on her cheeks.

“Thank you, Pauline,” Harry was smiling at her politely as she left their room service cart in their small kitchen.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Tomlinson,” she replied cordially with her eyes resolutely stuck on his face, “when you’re finished with your meal you can either leave your dishes in here for housekeeping or push the cart outside your room and we’ll come and collect it.”

“Great,” Harry grinned, “thanks again.”

“You’re welcome,” she repeated, “I hope you enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you,” Louis interrupted slightly as he walked into the kitchen, “enjoy your evening.”

Pauline’s eyes widened minutely at the sight of him and she wobbled her way through one last smile before she was quick walking it out of the room.

Louis turned to Harry. “She seemed nice,” he said as he began moving the dishes from the cart to their table. When Harry didn’t reply Louis turned to him. “You ok?” he asked worriedly.

“Sorry, just, uh,” Harry shrugged, “I think she was checking you out a bit is all.”

Louis laughed and finished setting the plates up. “Love, if she was checking anyone out it would be the ridiculously hot twenty one year old with only his pants on,” he said with a smile while gesturing up and down Harry’s body.

“I don’t think so,” Harry frowned, “and like I don’t really mind, because, well it doesn’t mean anything, y’know? But also, like, no.”

Louis walked around to him with a grin on his face, “I get it, love.” He stood on his tiptoes to plant a kiss on Harry’s lips, “now c’mon, let’s eat.”

Harry kissed him once more and smiled. “Sure.”

They sat down to eat with their feet tangle between them and laughter in the air as they chatted happily with each other.

“You know what’s insane?” Louis asked.

“You?” Harry instantly replied with a cheeky grin.

“Funny,” Louis deadpanned, “but really?”

“Um, no,” Harry shook his head slightly, “what?”

“Somehow, despite all odds,” Louis smiled softly at him, “in all of nine days I’ve managed to fall for you, Harry Styles.”

Harry bit his lips to contain his smile as he hummed. “Yeah,” he admitted completely straight faced, “that is pretty insane.”

“Oi!” Louis laughed.

Harry joined in with his laughter. "Don’t worry, dear, you’re not alone in that respect. I’m equally, if not more so, completely off me rocker.”

“You are exceptionally weird,” Louis agreed emphatically causing the both of them to grin wider at the other. “Why are we so stupid?” Louis pressed the words to his knuckles from where he was leaning on his hand as he stared lovingly across at Harry.

“Hmm,” Harry hummed his assent, “you got to admit that it’s sort of beautiful though.”

“Beautiful, stupid, same thing,” Louis grinned, “but beautiful seems more fitting.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

They finished eating together and mutually decided that they both wanted to end their lazy day by tucking into bed early and doing as little as possible. After they had both gotten ready for bed, including the highlight of brushing their teeth side by side and participating in the worn out cliché of pulling stupid faces at each other, they were more than eager to just turn out all the lights and have an early night. Which is of course how they ended up talking about everything and nothing between them in the quiet of their room.

“So, how are you going to explain it to everyone back home?” Louis asked Harry softly as he ran his fingers over his knuckles where they were holding hands between them.

“I don’t know,” Harry whispered back, “I mean my family kind of already know so that shouldn’t be too hard.” He sighed, “it’s just everyone else.”

“I know what you mean,” Louis agreed, “none of my mates are gonna believe that I actually somehow managed to gain a boyfriend while in Paris for a week and a half.”

“On your original honeymoon no less,” Harry pointed out with a smile.

Louis laughed. “Exactly! Sounds fucking mad don’t it?”

“Crazy.” Harry agreed. “Really crazy,” he whispered and when he spoke again he was somehow even quieter, “do you think we’re stupid for doing this? That it’s all just going to bite us in the arse as soon as we’re home?”

“I don’t know,” Louis admitted slowly, “I hope not. It doesn’t feel like it will, y’know?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, “I just worry that, I don’t know, it won’t feel as real once we’re back home. Like,” he bit his lip, “like we’ll be dragged back into reality.”

Louis pressed a light kiss against his hand. “I know, love. But I don’t think it will. I mean, I’ve never, like, felt like this before? Not even when I was engaged,” he laughed dryly, “which is a whole other box of shit to deal with another day but, what I mean is,” he smiled, “if it feels real here and now then it’s going to feel real wherever we are.” He paused slightly, “it’s not going to change how I feel about you.”

“Me neither,” Harry whispered, “it’s just a bit scary, innit? Going into the unknown.”

“Yeah,” Louis breathed, “but we’ll be ok.”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “I know we’ll figure it out together.”

“Definitely,” Louis affirmed, “we’ve just got to be there for each other.”

“Always,” Harry promised. He smiled slowly, “have you realised that we’ve actually not really been apart from each other since we met?”

Louis blinked at him. “Shit, that’s a bit intense isn’t it?” he said gently, “doesn’t feel that way though, y’know?”

“I know,” Harry replied, “I don’t think I’ve ever clicked so well with someone before.”

“Neither,” Louis whispered, “maybe that’s why it feels so intense though? Why we can’t really compare ourselves to normal relationships? I mean,” he laughed lightly, “literally no relationship ever has begun by spending every hour of every day with each other for over a week.”

Harry hummed, “yeah, that’s definitely stupid.”

Louis grinned, “stupid and beautiful.”

“I like that,” Harry murmured, “doing something stupid and beautiful with you.”

They smiled at each other softly they hands still intertwined between them.

Louis bit his lip against a smile and spoke softly. “Must we always talk about such serious things before we go to sleep?”

Harry laughed. “I personally think that we strike a healthy balance between weird post-sex sleepy nonsense and deep philosophical nonsense.”

“All nonsense then?” Louis asked.

“Always.” Harry confirmed with a grin.

They had automatically moved closer together so that they were touching as much as possible. A silence settled between them before Harry was whispering as quietly as he could knowing that Louis could hear every word.

“You’re leaving tomorrow.”

“I am,” Louis whispered.

He moved so that he was sliding his hand underneath Harry’s body and encouraging him to settle into his chest. Harry went willingly enough and soon Louis had him held perfectly in the comfort of his arms. He kissed the top of his head and laid his cheek on it. “We’ll work it out though, love. I know we will.”

Harry hummed against his chest and Louis could feel the puffs of his breath hitting his skin in gentle blows. Harry’s arms tightened around where they were folded around Louis’ waist as he breathed slowly. That is how they eventually found sleep together, wrapped up in one another and holding the other close, not wanting to let go.

 

> ** Day Ten **

Louis had the pleasure of being the first to wake up which meant that he allowed himself to creepily stare at Harry’s sleeping face for a few minutes with a soft smile on his face. Harry just looked so peaceful and angelic when he was asleep, well more so than usual, that Louis found himself wanting to trace his fingers over his face and brush back his hair. Of course he didn’t though as he had woken up early and wanted Harry to get all the sleep he wanted so instead he turned to his phone.

There were a few messages waiting for him, namely a few from his mum telling him when they would meet him and then some from his sisters expressing their excitement at having him come back home, and perhaps a little concernedly a winky face accompanying Lottie’s text which pretty much guaranteed that he was going to be welcomed home by a group of gossips. He smiled to himself as he responded to each and every one of them and text his housemates to remind them that he was coming home today.

By the time that he had moved on to scrolling through his Instagram feed Harry was shifting beside him and waking up. Louis put his phone down and finally ran his fingers through Harry’s soft hair.

“Morning, love,” he greeted quietly.

Harry grunted softly before he turned his face to look at Louis and shot him a tired smile. “Mornin’,” he slurred back.

Louis leaned closer and kissed him softly on the lips.

“I’m gonna go hop in the shower,” he told him.

All Harry did was hum in response and close his eyes again, clearly not quite ready to wake up.

Louis smiled and turned to get out of bed when he suddenly felt Harry’s warm hand tugging gently on his wrist. He turned round to see what Harry wanted only to see that he still hadn’t opened his eyes but he had pouted his mouth in silent request.

“Oh my god,” Louis laughed to himself as he took Harry’s face in his hands and kissed him properly. “You’re so stupid,” he whispered against his lips as he pecked them again before hopping out of bed, leaving a smiling and satisfied Harry left burrowed in the sheets.

He made fairly quick work of his shower and drying and styling his hair afterwards. He had brought his clothes with him seeing as he only had a handful left that were actually clean and so he got dressed quickly and with minimal fuss. With one last check in the mirror he gathered his things together and brought them back into the bedroom to pack into his suitcase. When he walked back into the room he found that Harry was already sitting on their bed in his clothes.

“Hey, you’re up,” Louis smiled at him.

Harry didn’t look at him, instead focusing on his twisted hands in his lap.

“I talked to him.”

Lois paused and his brows furrowed. “You talked to who, Haz?” he asked.

“Y’know. _Him_.”

“Um,” Louis replied in a flat tone, “sorry, Haz, but you’re just going to have to be more specific.”

Harry huffed and looked at him.

“I’m talking about your ex-fiancé.”

Louis was sure that his heart momentarily stopped. “What?” he breathed out in disbelief. “Wait, what?” he repeated in confusion, “how’s that possible? _I_ haven’t even spoken to him for months.”

Harry stood up. “He called just now when you were in the shower.”

“Wait,” Louis paused, “why were you answering my phone?”

“I didn’t,” Harry quickly defended, affronted. “He called the room.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“Sorry,” he apologised, “and I’m sorry that you had to deal with him, Harry,” Louis told him seriously, running his hand through his hair in distress. “What could he possibly want from me anyway?”

“Well, Louis,” Harry laughed humourlessly, “he mainly wanted to know why a strange man was answering his fiancé’s hotel room phone.”

“What the fuck?” Louis questioned, his voice rising slightly in shock. “Like he gives two fucks,” Louis scoffed. “And, Harry, you know that he’s not my fiancé. I think it’s pretty clear that we’re not together.”

“Yeah, I know,” Harry muttered, his eyes falling down to the floor again.

Louis’ entire demeanour softened at seeing Harry looking so downcast.

“What did he say to you, Haz?” he asked gently.

“I can see why you don’t like him,” was Harry curt reply.

Louis couldn’t stand the distance between them any longer and walked up to Harry, carefully taking his hands in his own. “Haz?” he asked again softly, “I’m so fucking sorry you had to hear whatever it was that he said.”

“But he sort of had a point,” Harry interrupted him quietly as he stared at their hands together, “this was meant to be your honeymoon,” he trailed off.

Louis tried not to sound too appalled. “Yeah, with a man that cheated on me for a year and treated me like absolute shit.” He breathed deeply, “a whole year, Haz. That man didn’t love me, probably never did.”

Harry looked conflicted as he bit his lip but he made no move to pull his hands away yet. Louis held on to that hope with all he had as he tried to reassure Harry to see past whatever it was he had been told.

“Harry,” he began, “I want him out of our lives for good. I want absolutely nothing to do with him and, honestly, I haven’t a fucking clue why he called the room when he’s made it perfectly clear in the past that he doesn’t want anything to do with my life either.” He squeezed Harry's hands gently and spoke softly, “whatever that fucker said to you I can guarantee that it isn’t true. He doesn’t even deserve to have your name in his mouth.”

Harry slowly met Louis’ eyes and it pained him greatly to see the sadness held in them. Harry breathed deeply.

“Once he realised that I was staying with you he called you a fucking nutcase and said that I must be even worse for wanting to be with you.” Harry’s hands twitched nervously in his own. “He asked me if I knew about your past and I said I did. He said I was fucking delusional and asked me what kind of a person I had to be for ignoring his existence and, fuck, ‘moving in’ on you. I’m fairly sure he was about to call me some other pretty choice words but I hung up on him.”

“Harry,” Louis breathed out slowly, sadness filling every facet of his voice. He dropped one of his hands and cupped his cheek while moving the hands that were still joined together to rest between their chests. Louis’ heart panged painfully as he tried to put his feelings into words. “Nothing he said is true. We’re not crazy or delusional for wanting what we have. A thousand other people would kill to feel the way that we do.” He took a deep breath and tried to centre himself as he spoke as honestly and sincerely as he could. “It’s you that I’m here with and you that I want to be here with. He’s always been a fucking possessive and insensitive prick and I was unhappy with him for a long time before we actually ended it, I just didn’t realise it because he was all I knew. But, Harry,” he found himself smiling despite everything, “what I feel with you, Harry, I don’t need any explanations or reasons. I know that this is how it’s meant to feel, how it’s meant to be. I want nothing from him,” he told him earnestly as they looked into each other’s eyes, “and I want absolutely everything with you. Being with you makes me happier than I’ve been since I was a teenager.” He squeezed tightly on the hands he held between them and used the thumb of his other hand to stroke gently at Harry’s cheek. “Being with you means waking up with a smile already on my face and going to bed with it still in place. It means stupid jokes and never being short of things to talk about. It means having deeper connection than I could ever hope to explain.” Louis stilled his hand and gazed at Harry softly, “it means being able to fall in love in ten days with a complete stranger because, somehow, it feels like you’ve been meant for you to find him your entire life.” Louis gave him one last watery smile, “so, please, Haz, don’t listen to a word he says because who you are and what we have are so far beyond his reach he couldn’t even begin to comprehend them.”

Harry’s composure finally broke and he sniffled and pried his hand away from Louis’ gently. Louis’ heart was beating painfully wild against his chest as dread began to fill him at the thought of losing Harry. Then he felt arms winding around him and Harry burying his face in his neck as he hugged him as tightly as he could. Louis could have wept with relief as he held Harry tight in his arms and rocked them gently to calm them as he was right on the verge of tears himself. He breathed deeply through his nose as he held Harry in his arms and didn’t dare let go. Eventually Harry pulled back to look at him with his misty eyes.

“You’ve fallen in love with me?” Harry asked quietly, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

All Louis could do was smile gently at him and wipe the dampness from his cheeks. “Yeah, I have,” he told him softly. “Surprise,” he joked half-heartedly.

“Lou,” Harry whispered, “I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”

Louis’ eyes widened and he exhaled in wonder at hearing Harry say that. He could only find it in himself to smile at him as best he could before he was reaching up and bringing their lips together, hoping to convey everything that he couldn’t express to him through their kiss. Harry kissed him back just as emotionally and although it perhaps wasn’t done with the most finesse it was the by far the best kiss they had ever shared with each other. The emotional relief that came with that simple act was enough to floor them both as they finally broke apart for long enough for one of them to talk.

“Thank you for telling me,” Harry whispered gently against his lips.

“For talking about my past or for the love confession?” Louis wondered with a smile playing on his lips.

Harry laughed lightly. “Both.” He kissed him again. “We’ve got this, Lou, we’ll be alright.”

“Yeah,” Louis agreed softly, “I think we’ll be more than alright.”

~*~

They dropped Harry’s suitcase back at his original hotel which, unsurprisingly, over the past week hadn’t improved any and in fact seemed to be even damper than the last time that they had been there.

They walked out with their hands swinging gently between them as they decided to head to Montmatre to climb the hill in order to visit the Sacré-Cœur. On their journey up Harry had spotted a stall of fresh fruit and Louis had bought them a small portion of strawberries for when they reached the top. And that is how they found themselves half an hour later sitting on the white steps of the Sacré-Cœur sharing strawberries between them.

“You know what I just realised?” Louis asked as he bit into another strawberry.

“What?” Harry questioned.

“I know where I remember this from. Sacré-Cœur means Scared Heart, right? Like the hospital in Scrubs.”

Harry laughed. “Yeah, babe, I think they’re talking about the sacred heart of Jesus this time around and not about a television show that stopped running a few years ago.”

“And what a tragedy that was,” Louis lamented playfully. “Why did it even stop?”

“I’m a-fraise I don’t know,” Harry grinned at him while pointing at their strawberries. “Get it? Because French for strawberry is fraise.”

Louis laughed. “I get it now.” He smiled at Harry, “I was wondering when your next lame joke was gonna be. It had been a while since you last dropped one.”

“What can I say?” Harry shrugged. “Puns are in the blood, you can’t force them, y’know? They have to come naturally.”

“Does that mean that one day you might just, like, stop?”

“No. It’s not a fraise mom,” Harry whined in a put on American accent as he held up his strawberry with a triumphant smile before he was laughing openly. “Double pun! Oh my god I’m making up for it all now.”

Louis laughed fondly along with him before he couldn’t help himself any longer and he kissed Harry’s giggling quiet. Harry kissed him back happily and if he accidentally smeared strawberry juice over Louis’ back, well, then it would just be one more interesting thing for Louis to have to explain to his family when he saw them later.

~*~

“Bye, suite,” Harry waved back into the room as Louis wheeled his suitcase out into the hallway.

“You’ve been really great,” Louis joined in on saying their goodbyes, “I wish we could have stolen your cushion but know that we’ll always remember it fondly.”

“And we’ll remember that it was your over the top décor that brought me here in the first place,” he smiled at the memory, “so we kinda owe you big time.”

“Bye, big fancy suite,” Louis finished as he finally shut the door on their hotel rooms and turned back to Harry.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Harry smiled at him, “you sure you have everything?”

Louis felt his pockets and checked once more in his backpack. “Yep, I’ve got everything ready to go.”

“Nice,” Harry said as he picked up Louis’ suitcase handle and began to wheel it towards the lifts.

“Hey, Haz,” Louis complained, “I can get that, you don’t have to.”

Harry only smiled at him. “No, but I want to.”

Harry insisted on taking his case all the way through the hotel and standing with it as he waited patiently for Louis to check out and then on lifting it into the boot of the taxi Louis had ordered.

“Thanks, love,” Louis kissed him gently as he held the taxi door open for him.

“You’re welcome,” Harry blushed lightly as he slid into the backseat with Louis.

Luckily for the both of them the driver already knew where they were going and so they didn’t have to try and find their way through the French language again.

Their hands were tangled together in the seat between them in the back of the taxi as it took them towards the airport. The silence between them was comforting as they both were lost in their own thoughts about each other. It was when they were about five minutes away from arriving that something suddenly occurred to Louis.

“Holy shit!” he exclaimed, “I don’t have you phone number.”

“What?” Harry asked in shock before realisation dawned on his own face. “Fucking hell, I don’t have yours either.”

Louis laughed lightly as he gave his phone to Harry and took his offered one in return and began to make a new contact.

“This is what we get for literally never separating since we met,” he shook his head, “we didn’t even need to exchange numbers because we were always together.”

“When you say it like that it does make it sound more cute than idiotic,” Harry admitted as he too began typing away on Louis phone.

Louis had entered his number and thought about what he wanted his name to be. Eventually he settled with alternating hearts with the cool emoji with sunglasses on with just the word ‘Lou’ in the middle. He smiled proudly at the finished result and saved it to Harry’s phone.

Harry too had finished putting in his contact as they both grinned at each other and swapped back phones.

Louis looked at his screen to see what Harry had written and was quickly able to find his contact.

‘Harold (Haz/love)’ followed by a string of emojis including the heart eyes face, the alien and a green heart.

“I love it,” Louis declared instantly as he couldn’t stop smiling at his phone.

“Me too,” Harry grinned at him, “I like your symmetry.”

Louis laughed, “thanks, love. I take emoji art very seriously.”

They had to stop talking then as they were pulling up to the airport and Louis did his last minute checks to make sure that he still had everything on him.

The taxi pulled up to the curb and while Louis was paying Harry had managed to get his hands on the suitcase again and had wheeled it onto the pavement.

Louis thanked the driver once more before stepping out and seeing harry stood there with a smile on his face.

“Will you let me take my suitcase now?” he asked with a teasing tone.

“Nope,” Harry replied as he popped his 'p’, “I’m going to be a considerate boyfriend by taking it for you until I literally can’t anymore.”

Louis grinned at him. “You’re the most considerate boyfriend,” he promised him and sealed it with a kiss.

Harry hummed happily at that as he followed Louis inside the airport.

Louis figured out that they had about twenty minutes to spare before he needed to check in to his flight and so naturally they made their way to the nearest coffee shop and found themselves a table. Harry ordered them small drinks which they sipped at intermittently between their quiet talking.

“You’re going straight to Doncaster?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Louis nodded, “gonna spend a few days with my family before heading back to Manchester.”

“How long’s the journey?”

“It’s not too bad, really. About three hours by train so I’ll probably be home for dinner,” Louis grinned, “or at least they’d better wait for me to be there to start eating.”

Harry laughed at that as he reached for Louis’ hand across the table. “By the time I’m back then you might be home too.”

“Yeah?” Louis smiled at him, “it’ll be a bit weird spending the next few days apart won’t it? But then it’s kinda weird that it will be weird, if that makes sense.”

Harry smiled and nodded. “It does,” he assured him. “I’ll miss seeing you every day,” he admitted.

“Me too,” Louis said, “we can Skype and stud though. Plus I know my mum will want to talk to you again once I told her that we’re together.”

Harry grinned, “yeah same here. And my sister will want to see you.”

Louis gulped slightly. “You’d think that after being raised with as many sisters as I have been that that thought wouldn’t be so scary, but, nope. Definitely scary.”

Harry laughed at that. “Think about how I feel, Lou! You have a whole horde of sisters that I need to impress.”

“Yeah but they’re all younger,” Louis pointed out, “and therefore can be bought over really easily.”

“I’m not going to bribe your sisters into liking me, Lou,” Harry rolled his eyes at him.

“You’re right,” Louis gave in, “they’ll love you anyway so you don’t really need to worry.”

“Thanks,” Harry smiled self-consciously. “How much time do we have?” he asked.

“Not long,” Louis frowned. “Do you mind waiting here for a minute I just need to nip to the loos.”

“Sure,” Harry agreed easily as Louis got up.

As soon as he was sure that Harry wasn’t watching him Louis headed towards his actual destination and quickly picked out what he wanted.

As he began to approach the table again he was happy to see that Harry was standing outside the shop looking at his phone and not particularly paying attention to him which made walking up to him without giving himself away all the more easy. Louis hid his gift behind his back as he got closer.

“I lied,” he announced as soon as he was close enough, causing Harry to snap his head up and look at him. “I wasn’t going to the toilets,” he admitted as he brought his hands out from behind his back and presented Harry with a small bouquet of flowers that he had spotted when they had first arrived. “So you can have something only half as beautiful as yourself,” he told him cheesily, “and also to make your hotel seem like less of a shithole when you get back.”

Harry was grinning at him widely from where he was standing as he took the flowers. “Louis,” he said softly with the utmost tenderness in his voice, “they’re lovely. Thank you.”

“It gets better,” Louis smiled at him. “Ready?” he asked.

“Definitely,” Harry replied excitedly.

“I hope I’m not being too much of a fleur-t for you,” Louis grinned. “Get it? Fleur, like flower?”

“I got it,” Harry grinned in return before he was kissing Louis fervently, being mindful not to crush his flowers in the process.

Louis reached up and tangled his fingers in Harry’s hair as he kissed him back just as enthusiastically, not caring at all for who may or may not be watching them. It hit Louis just how much he didn’t want to leave Harry and spend the next few days apart. He held him tighter.

“Harry,” Louis breathed quietly, his lips still in contact with his as they breathed together, not daring to part.

Louis could feel the words forming on his lip, could feel the shape and weight of them and how true they were. He pressed his lips against Harry’s again and then once more.

“I love you, Harry. And I’ll miss you.”

He could feel Harry’s smile pressing against his own.

“I love you too, Louis. And even though it’ll only be a few days I’ll miss you as well, so much.”

Louis pressed another kiss to his lips and smiled sadly.

“When we’re home we can talk some more, yeah? Sort things out completely.”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, “I’d like that.”

He kissed him again and then again.

“I’d better go,” he whispered softly. “So, you kinda have to give me my case back now.”

Harry huffed out a laugh at that. “If I have to,” he gave in as he finally let go of his hold on the suitcase.

They walked over to the check in desks and Louis turned back to Harry.

“I’ll see you in a few days,” Louis reminded him as his hands came to rest on the small of Harry’s back. “I hope you enjoy your last few days in Paris.”

“I’ll try to,” Harry told him, “I’ll text you all the time anyway.”

“Same,” Louis promised. “I’ll see you back home then,” he said quietly.

“Sure will,” Harry assured him as he bent down and kissed Louis softly again. “Love you,” he whispered against his lips.

“Love you too,” Louis returned as he pressed one last kiss against Harry’s lips before pulling away.

Without actually saying the words they said goodbye to each other and Louis went to check in to his flight. Before he headed through to security though he turned back to see Harry stood there with his flowers in hand waving at him. He waved back and smiled softly at the sight before he forced himself to turn around again and head off into the airport.

By the time he had passed through the entirety of security and made his way into duty free he found himself with just over an hour to spare before boarding for his flight began.

Louis lasted all of about twenty minutes before he was texting Harry about the heavily tattooed man opposite him and how one day that might be him.

Harry’s response came back within the minute and that’s how Louis ended up passing the rest of his time before boarding. He was more than pleased to find out that Harry’s use of emojis was almost as excessive as his own. Harry told him about how his taxi driver on the way back kept on trying to talk to him in French and he got so lost that he eventually ended up having to google the word for sorry. Louis found himself smiling continuously as they talked and he found that he didn’t want to put his phone down. Even once they had boarded he prolonged the inevitable until he was literally sitting in his designated seat. He sent one last text to Harry.

‘About to fly. I’ll message again when I land xx’

He sighed and turned his phone off, telling himself that it would be worth it to wait until he’d landed again to see what Harry had replied.

The plane ride was fairly uneventful as Louis tried to settle himself and down and not overthink too much. The journey itself was short enough that he couldn’t justify doing much seeing as he wouldn’t be able to finish anything, which meant that he was left alone with his thoughts, which of course were almost all focused on Harry.

Once they had landed he made his way through baggage claim and couldn’t wait any longer. He turned his phone on and after a minute it informed him of the several texts he had missed.

‘Have a safe flight, Lou xx’

‘I think this is a great opportunity for my jokes to reach new heights’

‘Hope that pun didn’t fly straight over your head’

‘I’ll stop now, sorry. (I’m not) xx’

Louis grinned to himself feeling foolishly in love and free as he read the messages. Without having to even think about it he pressed call.

“Lou?” Harry’s voice came through the receiver.

“Hi, love.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it (and believe me I really did – which is probably evident from all of the ~~terrible~~ hilarious jokes/puns that I managed to fit in).  
>  Honestly I have no idea why Harry and Louis ended up being such ridiculous men in love but, oh boy, have I grown fond of them and I hope you have too.  
> I also have to give a shout out to 'Travel Man' which inspired a great deal of the slightly weirder adventures in this fic.  
> Please check out my [tumblr](http://lycorislife.tumblr.com/)/[reblog this fic post](http://lycorislife.tumblr.com/post/147372175033/eiffel-in-love-by-lycorislife-all-louis-and) if you want to :)  
> Thank you again for reading ❤  
> x


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